Easy Skillet Baked Ziti (Creamy One-Pan Pasta!)

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I’m a working mom with a regular 9-to-5, two kids, and exactly zero hours to spend standing over the stove after a long day. I need meals that are fast, filling, and don’t leave me with a sink full of dishes. That’s exactly what this creamy skillet ziti delivers.

Why This Recipe Works for Busy Families

Let me be real with you—I don’t have time to spend an hour in the kitchen after working all day, picking up kids, and dealing with homework and bath time. This recipe was born out of necessity. I needed something that:

✅ Uses ingredients I already have
✅ Comes together in 30 minutes or less
✅ Feeds my whole family
✅ Doesn’t require a million pots and pans
✅ Tastes way better than takeout
✅ Can be made ahead, so future-me doesn’t have to cook

This checks every single box. It’s become one of my go-to weeknight dinners, and I make it at least twice a month. Sometimes I’ll double the recipe and freeze half, so I have an emergency dinner ready to go.

This easy skillet baked ziti is proof that you don’t need hours or complicated techniques to make a delicious, satisfying dinner. It’s creamy, cheesy, packed with flavor, and comes together in one pan in 30 minutes. Whether you make it fresh for dinner tonight or prep it ahead for later in the week, it’s the kind of meal that makes weeknights feel a little less chaotic.

The One Pan That Makes This Even Easier

You don’t need fancy equipment for this, but I will say having a good large skillet with a lid makes a huge difference. I use a 12-inch skillet so everything fits comfortably. If you have a skillet that can go from stovetop to oven, even better—you can broil the cheese at the end for an extra bubbly top if you want.

What Makes This Skillet Ziti Special?

This isn’t your basic pasta-and-jarred-sauce situation. This recipe takes regular baked ziti and makes it easier by cooking everything in one skillet—no boiling pasta separately, no layering in a baking dish, no waiting an hour for it to bake. You get all the cheesy, saucy goodness of traditional baked ziti in half the time with half the cleanup.

Here’s what sets it apart:

Heavy cream makes the sauce rich and creamy instead of just plain marinara. It’s that restaurant-quality touch that makes this feel special, even on a Tuesday night.

Italian sausage adds so much flavor you don’t need a dozen extra ingredients. I use either turkey sausage (for a lighter option) or pork sausage, depending on what I have on hand. Both work great.

One-pan cooking means less cleanup. You brown the sausage, build the sauce, toss in the cooked pasta, top with cheese, and you’re done. One skillet. That’s it.

Freezer-friendly makes this perfect for meal prep. Make it on Sunday, freeze it, and reheat it on Thursday when you get home late and don’t want to cook. It’s like having a homemade frozen dinner waiting for you.

How to Make Easy Skillet Baked Ziti

The best part of this dish is that you can absolutely make this dish ahead and FREEZE it! That is what I did. Once this dish cooled down, I lined a baking dish with some aluminum foil and added the ziti to the dish and folded the loose aluminum foil to cover it, and placed it in the freezer for a later day. You absolutely can completely make this dish on your meal prep day and freeze it for the family to This recipe comes together so fast you’ll wonder why you ever bothered with boxed pasta dinners.

Step 1: Cook your pasta. Get a pot of salted water boiling and cook your ziti (or penne—they’re basically the same thing) according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Step 2: Cook the aromatics. In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and cook your chopped onions until they’re soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Toss in the minced garlic and cook for another 3 minutes until it smells amazing.

Step 3: Brown the sausage. Add your sausage to the skillet and break it up as it cooks. Let it brown for about 10 minutes, then drain off any excess fat if there’s a lot. I usually leave a little bit because it adds flavor.

Step 4: Build the sauce. Pour in your marinara sauce, heavy cream, parmesan cheese, dried basil, and dried oregano. Stir everything together and let it simmer for a minute or two. The cream makes the sauce luscious and rich.

Step 5: Add the pasta. Toss your cooked pasta into the skillet and stir until every piece is coated in that creamy, saucy goodness. Taste it and add salt and pepper if needed.

Step 6: Cheese it up. Top the whole thing with shredded mozzarella cheese, cover with a lid, and let it sit for about 5 minutes until the cheese melts into a beautiful, gooey layer.

Step 7: Serve and enjoy. Grab some plates, scoop out generous portions, and watch your family devour it.

Ziti vs. Penne: What’s the Difference?

Honestly? Not much. Ziti is a tube-shaped pasta, and so is penne. The main difference is that penne has angled ends and ziti has straight-cut ends. For this recipe, you can use either one. I usually just grab whichever one is on sale or already in my pantry. They both hold the sauce beautifully, and no one at your dinner table is going to complain. Enjoy later in the week. Just pop it in the oven at 350 for about an hour, and you’re good to go!

Can You Make This Ahead of Time?

Absolutely! This is one of those recipes that actually works better when you make it ahead because the flavors have more time to develop. Here’s how I do it:

For the fridge: Make the whole recipe, let it cool completely, then cover the skillet tightly with foil or transfer to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to eat, reheat it on the stove over medium heat, adding a splash of water or milk if the sauce has thickened up too much.

For the freezer: This is where it gets really good. Make the recipe, let it cool completely, then transfer it to a foil-lined baking dish. Fold the foil over to cover everything, then freeze. Once it’s frozen solid, you can pop the whole thing out of the dish and store it in a freezer bag to save space. It keeps for up to 3 months.

To reheat from frozen: You can bake it straight from the freezer at 350°F for about an hour, covered with foil. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes to crisp up the cheese. Or, if you have time, let it thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat on the stove or in the oven for about 30 minutes.

What to Serve with Skillet Ziti

This is a pretty hearty dish, so you don’t need much on the side. Here’s what I usually pair it with:

• Simple green salad – Just lettuce, tomatoes, and Italian dressing
• Garlic bread – Because carbs on carbs is totally acceptable
• Steamed broccoli – For a quick veggie
• Caesar salad – The classic Italian-American pairing
• Roasted vegetables – Zucchini, bell peppers, or asparagus

Honestly, sometimes I just serve it with nothing because it’s filling enough on its own and I’m too tired to make sides.

Commonly Asked Questions

Similar Recipes

If you like one pan recipes like this, you will enjoy the ones below:

• One-Pan Meatball Pizza Skillet Dish
• One Pan Mexican Chicken and Rice Recipe
• Easy Skillet Lasagna Recipe
• Creamy Chicken Skillet Recipe
• One Pan Burrito Dinner (Easy 30-Minute Recipe!)

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