10 Reviews of Baked Ziti from Cook's Illustrated

From: Bobbie

On Apr 19, 2009

Very, very good! It takes a little time to put together — but it isn't hard to do. I followed the directions precisely and used the ingredients as listed. I know some had mentioned using ricotta in place of the cottage cheese. I see no reason to switch — I wouldn't want to compromise the creamy texture of the sauce. I thought it was even better the next day — reheated! The ONLY variation I might try would be to cut up some of my meatballs and stick them in. I saw this recipe in Cook's Illustrated and was intrigued — when I saw it already posted here, I knew I had to try it. Thanks, Mary.

From: *axxo*

On Feb 22, 2009

I came here to post this recipe after preparing it for dinner tonight. I too have to say this IS the BEST baked ziti I have ever made or had. Next time I think I would like to try it with ricotta, just for curiosity's sake. I inadvertently used 16oz. of mozzarella, not realizing til it was all cubed, so I used it all, never too much cheese My very fussy husband who does NOT like baked ziti cause it is dry and tasteless, commented twice on how how creamy this was and how much he like it. I am anxious to prepare this recipe for company!!!! Thanks for posting Mary!

From: Bittersweetened

On Mar 26, 2009

This is a great recipe! I had some family over for dinner and they LOVED it! It was easy to prepare, just a little time consuming. But the end result was worth it. Thanks for the recipe!

From: Clean Plate Club

On Mar 10, 2009

Better than our best lasagna. Creamy and rich and just plain great!!!! Never liked baked Ziti until now. I made 1 recipe but layered into 2 pans. We baked 1 and froze 1. We will make this often.

From: Maine E Ack!

On Apr 13, 2009

I was captivated by the photo and just had to make it! Even my grandchildren loved this with some meatballs on the side! Great cheesy flavor and well worth the time it took to prepare it!

From: NVirginian

On Aug 29, 2009

This is the best baked ziti I've ever had. Since it's from Cook's Illustrated I knew I couldn't go wrong! Thanx for posting

From: Chef #1342977

On Aug 5, 2009

This recipe is fantastic. In a pinch I use a high quality pre-made marinara instead of making it "from scratch." It cuts time but still tastes great. I also omit the eggs (allergy) and it still turns out fantastic.

From: SkyBlueMorning

On Aug 9, 2009

Great recipe! Light & moist — very flavorful. This recipe makes enough for a crowd — if you added browned italian sausage or cooked mini-meatballs, you'd have a complete meal. Delicious! Definitely a keeper. Great for family dinners. Served with fresh pugliese bread & wine. Very, very satisfying.

From: Chef #1435827

On Nov 3, 2009

My goodness, this is my new favorite guilty pleasure! Just made two changes before trying the original unchanged version. I used 4% fat cottage cheese (based on a review from another site) and I also added browned ground beef at the end of step 3. Delicious, I am suprised there arent more hits on this.

From: duonyte

On Oct 17, 2009

I was coming to post the recipe, and pleased to see it here. I made half the recipe, and it was really delicious. CI recommends using 2 tsp cornstarch if using whole milk instead of cream. I could not find my cornstarch, so I made a roux and used the milk to make a bechamel. That worked out very well. I also added some Italian sausage - a local market makes it with meat instead of pork, and it really worked well with the rest. A great dinner.