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Home » Recipes » Baked Pasta Recipes

Published: Dec 29, 2020 · Modified: Nov 25, 2021 by Jacqui

Neapolitan Baked Ziti Pasta al Gratin


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Neapolitan Baked Ziti Pasta al Gratin

Maccheroni al gratin.

Neapolitan baked ziti pasta al gratin with béchamel is a traditional dish from Naples, Southern Italy.  Like other baked pasta recipes, it’s popular for family meals on Sundays and holidays. However, this delicious baked pasta comes together very quickly and can easily be part of a weekly menu.

Neapolitan baked ziti pasta al gratin

Isn’t béchamel French?

Béchamel sauce, as it’s generally called in Europe, is a white sauce made from flour, butter and milk. Today, people use it in a lot of recipes in many countries. But, as the name suggests, it is originally French (or is it?).

Neapolitan baked ziti pasta al gratin

Louis de Béchamel was a French financier and patron of the arts who lived in Brittany in the 17th century. He also liked to dabble in the kitchen and is said to have created béchamel sauce. But, his sauce was, apparently, really just an improvement on an already existing sauce which the French used in à la crème dishes. 

However, there is also a school of thought that béchamel was actually originally based on a Tuscan sauce called 'salsa colla' (glue sauce). This sauce was brought to France by the chefs of Catherine de Medici when she became the wife of Henry II.

Ingredients for Neapolitan baked ziti pasta al gratin
Step 1 Gather all your ingredients.

French Culinary influence on Italian food.

Whatever the origins of the original béchamel, the French actually brought a lot of culinary traditions to Southern Italy during the Bourbon reign of the kingdom of two Sicilies (Sicily & Naples) in 1800s.  During that period the nobility in Naples and Sicily most often had French chefs who then passed on their skills and recipes to Italian cooks. 

homemade béchamel in saucepan and cut ham and mozzarella in bowls
Step 2 Make the béchamel and cut the ham and mozzarella into cubes

The use of French béchamel (besciamella in Italian) and the technique of cooking ‘au gratin’ are two cooking methods that have remained very popular, especially in baked pasta recipes. Funny, without the French, there would be no lasagna al forno as we know it!

cooked ziti pasta in oven dish with béchamel, ham and mozzarella
Step 3 Cook the pasta and put it in oven dish mixed with béchamel, ham and mozzarella

The Pasta for this recipe.

In Neapolitan dialect the word ‘maccheroni’ is used to mean pasta in general, although it most often refers to long pasta tubes. For this recipe I used zitoni. These are wide long ziti. In Italy, both ziti and zitoni are traditionally long 25cm dried pasta tubes, similar to giant bucatini. However, it's also possible to buy ready cut short ziti.

zitoni pasta in oven dish covered with parmigiano and breadcrumbs
Step4 Cover the pasta with a layer of grated parmigiano and breadcrumbs

Quintessentially Neapolitan, ziti and zitoni  are THE pasta for feasts and holidays in Campania. They are usually broken into halves or pieces by hand before cooking but I decided to bake them whole. If you don’t have ziti or zitoni, you can use other pasta tubes such as rigatoni or penne for this recipe or the even longer candele!

Neapolitan baked ziti pasta al gratin
Step 5 Bake in a preheated oven until the top is golden and crispy!

Making this Neapolitan baked pasta al gratin.

This Neapolitan baked pasta al gratin recipe can be made even faster by using ready-made béchamel. But I prefer to make my own. It only takes ten minutes. The other sauce ingredients don’t need to be pre-cooked. I kept to a simple version with just mozzarella and ham cut into cubes.

Neapolitan baked ziti pasta al gratin

Some versions of Neapolitan baked pasta al gratin include hard boiled eggs and/or others vegetables such as peas. The gratin for this recipe is made with a mixture of grated Parmigiano and breadcrumbs.

The combination of the golden crispy gratin and the creamy, cheesy sauce make this baked ziti al gratin a divinely delicious plate of pasta! It’s a winner with kids as well and I’m sure once you try it, it’ll become a firm family favourite. It's also a great way to use up leftover holiday ham!

Pin for later!

Neapolitan baked ziti al gratin

If you make this Neapolitan baked ziti pasta recipe I’d love to hear how it turns out and if you liked it. Please leave a comment here on the blog or on The Pasta Project Facebook page.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Buon appetito!

Other Italian baked pasta recipes with béchamel to try.

  1. Baked pasta roses
  2. Lasagne al forno with Bolognese
  3. Lamb lasagna
  4. Poached salmon and asparagus lasagne al forno

If you are interested in learning how to make homemade pasta and different types of gnocchi, check out my shop page for some great video online courses from my friends in Rome! Nothing beats learning to make pasta from Italians! Plus while you’re there why not order a copy of my newly published autumn/winter pasta recipes cookbook!

Save this recipe for later?

If you want to save this recipe for later, you can print it, bookmark this page or save it to Pinterest.

Have a look at these other traditional ham pasta recipes for more delicious recipes like this one!

Neapolitan baked ziti pasta al gratin
Neapolitan baked ziti pasta al gratin

Neapolitan baked ziti pasta al gratin

Jacqui
A traditional Neapolitan baked pasta recipe that is simple to make yet so delicious! A family favourite that's also a great way to use up leftover holiday ham!
5 from 33 votes
Print Recipe Save Recipe Saved! Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 50 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Campania, Italian, Southern Italian
Servings 4
Calories 1138 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 320 g Ziti or Zitoni (11oz) I used zitoni pasta from Granoro (their Dedicato line)
  • 300 g mozzarella (10oz) drained and cut into cubes
  • 300 g ham (10oz) thick slices cut into cubes
  • 50 g butter (1.5oz)
  • 90 g Parmigiano (3oz) grated
  • ½ cup breadcrumbs
  • salt to season and for pasta
  • black pepper to season

for the béchamel

  • 0.75 lt milk (3 cups)
  • 75 g flour (2.5 oz)
  • 75 g butter (2.5oz)
  • nutmeg as required

Instructions
 

  • Cut the mozzarella and the ham into cubes 

Make the béchamel sauce (white sauce)

  • Put the butter in a pan over a low heat, melt it, add the flour and mix until it forms a thick paste (roux), then remove it from the heat. At this point slowly add the milk and stir continuously to dissolve the roux without making lumps. 
  • Put the pan on a moderate heat and keep stirring constantly until it starts to simmer and thicken. Lower the flame, wait a couple of minutes, then turn it off. 
  • Add a pinch of salt, pepper and nutmeg, mix it again for a few minutes and then allow it to cool to thicken it further. You can also leave it in the fridge.

Cook the pasta and finish the dish

  • Put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. Add salt once it starts to boil and bring to the boil again. Cook the pasta very al dente. (slightly less than the time given on the packet). Drain the pasta and mix it with the béchamel and the mozzarella and ham cubes. 
  • Fill a buttered oven dish with the pasta mixture and sprinkle with the grated Parmigiano and breadcrumbs. Bake for 25 minutes in a preheated oven at 180 degrees (350F) until the top is golden and crispy.
  • Allow the baked pasta to sit for a few minutes before serving. I like to serve it quite quickly. It won’t hold together well as the sauce is creamy! 
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Notes

You can use other pasta such as rigatoni, penne or even candele to make this dish. Candele will definitely need to be broken into more manageable pieces. 
If you want to make this recipe faster then ready-made béchamel can be used instead of making it yourself.

Nutrition

Calories: 1138kcalCarbohydrates: 86gProtein: 55gFat: 63gSaturated Fat: 35gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 188mgSodium: 2026mgPotassium: 525mgFiber: 4gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1464IUCalcium: 702mgIron: 4mg
Keyword al gratin, baked pasta recipe, bechamel, ziti
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

This recipe was first published in 2018 but has been updated.


More Baked Pasta Recipes

  • Oven baked tagliatelle pasta with Fontina.
    Easy Baked Tagliatelle Pasta with Fontina
  • Gnocchi alla Romana in a baking dish
    Gnocchi alla Romana Recipe (baked semolina gnocchi)
  • Spicy sausage and ziti pasta in a baking dish.
    Baked Ziti or Zitoni Pasta with Spicy Sausage
  • Mushroom cannelloni in a baking dish.
    Mushroom Cannelloni (Manicotti) Recipe

Reader Interactions

Comments

    5 from 33 votes

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Elizabeth says

    July 26, 2024 at 8:04 pm

    This is my first time making a pasta like this and it was a huge hit for my family! This recipe was to easy to follow, too!

    Reply
  2. Claudia says

    July 26, 2024 at 4:36 pm

    Made this Neapolitan baked ziti and it was a hit! The creamy, cheesy topping is unbeatable. Definitely a keeper recipe!

    Reply
  3. Juyali says

    July 25, 2024 at 5:40 am

    Holy cannoli, this pasta is the stuff dreams are made of. So rich, creamy, and cheesy in all the right places. It's like an Italian grandma's secret recipe, but even better. I'm officially obsessed! Thank you for the delish recipe.

    Reply
  4. Adriana says

    July 25, 2024 at 2:11 am

    Wow this ziti is fantastic. Creamy and delicious!

    Reply
  5. Amy says

    July 25, 2024 at 1:45 am

    Loved those crunchy bits. Hard not to just eat that part! Really yum

    Reply
  6. Tina says

    February 18, 2024 at 6:26 pm

    such a yummy baked ziti dish. Will be making it again!

    Reply
  7. Gloria says

    February 14, 2024 at 5:28 pm

    Fusion dishes are fun. I need to make a special dinner this weekend. Everyone loves pasta. This is the perfect recipe.

    Reply
  8. Andréa says

    February 14, 2024 at 3:30 pm

    I love a plate of baked pasta and this ziti pasta al gratin was no difference. It was creamy, flavorful and with a great gratin. Definitely going to make it more often.

    Reply
  9. Keri says

    February 14, 2024 at 1:20 pm

    Had to come back and let you know how much we loved this baked ziti. The ultimate twist for me was the crunchy breadcrumbs on top. Creamy, crunchy and just perfect!

    Reply
  10. Padma says

    February 14, 2024 at 1:04 pm

    I made a vegetarian version of this and my whole family devoured it! Thank you for a good recipe.

    Reply
  11. Capri says

    December 29, 2020 at 8:25 pm

    This recipe was a lovely change to my normal ziti dish. I loved the addition of bechamel sauce and ham!

    Reply
  12. Jess says

    December 29, 2020 at 7:59 pm

    Baked Ziti is one of my favorite dishes. Definitely on our menu rotation because the family loves it too.

    Reply
  13. Kushigalu says

    December 29, 2020 at 7:30 pm

    Love pasta and can have it anytime 🙂 this dish sounds so flavorful and I will be soon trying your recipe. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
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Trackbacks

  1. Ziti vs Penne Pasta - What's Different? What's the Same? says:
    January 14, 2021 at 2:47 pm

    […] however, it does take some time to make the sauce and bake. So if you aren’t rushed for time, this recipe is a great classic Italian […]

    Reply

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Neapolitan baked ziti al gratin

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