Gluten Free Baked Ziti is a delicious pasta dish made with gluten free ziti noodles, layered with a rich tomato sauce, ground meat, and a blend of cheeses. It's a hearty comfort food that's kid approved too!

This cheese dinner pairs deliciously with a salad! Make this Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad or this Raspberry Kale Salad for a healthy side!
Ingredients Needed
- Rigatoni Noodles
- Ground Beef
- Onion
- Garlic
- Marinara Sauce
- Ricotta Cheese
- Italian Seasoning
- Salt
- Provolone Cheese
- Mozzarella Cheese
Substitutions and Swaps
- Use sour cream in place of the ricotta! It's so delicious.
- If you don't have Italian Seasoning, you can just use oregano.
- Try different cheeses to switch it up.
- You can use plain tomato sauce instead of marinara, I would just add some more garlic, salt, and Italian seasoning.
How to Make Easy Gluten Free Baked Ziti
Start by making the pasta according the package directions. Once it reaches al dente and is drained, set it aside.
Next preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef. Cook it for about 10 minutes, breaking it up as you go. Halfway through the cook time, add in the onion and garlic.
When the beef is finished, add in the marinara sauce and ricotta cheese. Stir to combine.
Mix together the beef mixture with the pasta and stir to combine.
Add half of the mixture to a casserole dish and spread it evenly. Top with 4 slices of provolone cheese and half of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layers one time.
Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the dish is heated through. You can leave it in for longer if you prefer to brown the cheese a bit. Enjoy!
How to Make it Ahead of Time
If you'd like to do some meal prepping and make this casserole in ahead of time, follow all of the steps until the baking part.
Once you've layered everything together, let it cool completely, then wrap it or put a lid on the dish so no air can get in and refrigerate it for up to 2 days.
If you'd like to freeze it instead, place it in the freezer for up to 3 months. You may freeze it longer if you'd like, but the quality will not be as good past 3 so I don't recommend it!
When it comes time to use it, preheat the oven and pick up the baking step from there.
If it's frozen, let it completely thaw in the fridge for 24-48 hours then preheat the oven and follow the baking step from there.
Storage and Reheating
For any leftovers, wrap them or seal them in an airtight container and place in the fridge for up to 3 days.
My favorite way to reheat them is in the oven. Place the leftovers into an oven safe dish and heat them at a low temperature until they're heated through.
You can also use the microwave or your preferred heating method!
Glute Free Baked Ziti Without Ricotta
While it seems to be more traditional to make baked ziti with ricotta, you don't have to!
You can absolutely make this gluten free baked ziti without ricotta and use sour cream instead!
Gluten Free Ziti Brands
I actually couldn't find any gluten free ziti in two major grocery stores.
I bought gluten free rigatoni instead!
The Jovial brand of gluten free pasta is one that I recommend, and they also have grain free options as well!
Typically, sausage does not contain gluten. Be sure to check your labels just incase!
Of course! I actually couldn't find gluten free ziti noodles so I used gluten free rigatoni. Use whatever you'd like!
With the amount of sauce in the recipe it shouldn't dry out unless you leave it in the oven too long. Just keep an eye on the time and take it out after 15-20 minutes or when it's fully heated through!
No, do not cover the ziti while it bakes! You want the cheese to melt and the casserole to heat through.
Gluten Free Baked Ziti
Equipment
- 1 large saucepan or Dutch oven
- 1 large skillet
- 1 wooden spoon/spatula
- 1 2.5 qt. casserole dish
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cutting Board
Ingredients
- 1 12 oz. box of gluten free rigatoni
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 onion chopped
- 5 cloves garlic diced
- 1 24 oz. jar of marinara sauce
- 8 oz. ricotta cheese see above for a swap
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
- 8 slices provolone cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
- Start by boiling water in a large saucepan or dutch oven on the stove. Cook the rigatoni according to the package instructions, to al dente. When finished, drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef. Break it up as you cook, about 10-12 minutes or until it's no longer pink. Halfway through this cook time, add the onion and garlic as you continue to mix and break up the beef.
- Add in the marinara sauce, ricotta, cheese, salt, and Italian seasoning. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes to let everything blend together.
- Combine the meat mixture with the gluten free pasta and mix thoroughly.
- In half of a 2.5 L casserole dish, spread half of the pasta mixture. On top of that, layer 4 slices of the provolone cheese and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Repeat.
- Place the casserole in the oven for about 15 minutes to melt the cheese and heat it through. Enjoy!
More Gluten Free Dishes
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Leave a comment and rating below and let me know what you served it with!