How To Reheat Baked Ziti – The 3 Best Ways

Love lasagna but need a simpler dish? Baked ziti is the hassle-free version of lasagna with rich flavors and easy preparation. This American Italian casserole can be made in large batches for those days when you’re in a hurry.

The pasta, tomato sauce, cheese, and other fillings combine together in a hearty dish that you can easily adjust to add your own flavor, and the leftovers should never go to waste. 

What is the best way to reheat baked ziti? The best way to reheat leftover baked ziti without drying them out is to use the oven. It retains moisture and guarantees that your pasta will be heated from the inside out. Of course, a toaster oven will also work, and you can even use a microwave if you’re in a hurry. 

The Best Ways To Reheat Baked Ziti

The best thing about baked ziti is that everyone has their own version of it. Some people use Italian sausages, while others use chicken or even prepare a vegetarian version of the dish. Whatever you do, you will end up with the perfect warm casserole that everyone loves. 

When you end up with leftover baked ziti don’t throw the past away, because it would make the perfect next day’s snack or can be kept for a busy day. Storing your pasta is easy if you follow the right steps. 

Baked ziti can last up to 5 days in the fridge. Allow your dish to cool down for about 30 minutes and move it into an aluminum container or keep it in the casserole. Cover the baked ziti with foil and store it until needed. 

If you have a whole casserole that you didn’t consume, you can keep it in the freezer. Once wrapped, your leftover baked ziti can last for up to 3 months in the freezer. 

Luckily, baked ziti will taste amazing when reheated, even if it was frozen. However, after a day or two, the water in the sauce will start to dry, so you might need to prepare some marinara or tomato sauce to add to your previously made baked ziti.

You can also sprinkle some melting cheese on top of your dish to give it a little makeover, so it doesn’t look like it was prepared a while ago. 

Before reheating baked ziti, you need to bring it to room temperature. Remove it from the fridge and keep it on the kitchen counter for about 30 minutes before reheating it. 

Allow frozen baked ziti to thaw before reheating your dish. This will shorten the thawing time and guarantee that you won’t end up with frozen spots in the middle of your dish. Thaw your frozen baked ziti for 24 hours for the best results. 

You can either leave your frozen baked ziti thaw in the fridge overnight or use the defrost option to warm it up a little before starting the reheating process. 

Use the defrost function of your microwave for between 5 and 10 minutes but stop at 30 seconds increments to check on your pasta’s progress. Keep it covered to maintain the moisture. 

It’s quite easy to reheat baked ziti, and we will present multiple methods that work for different situations, but they all have one thing in common: you will end up with a delicious dish that tastes and smells heavenly.

How to reheat baked ziti in the oven

Reheating baked ziti in the oven is one of the easiest methods that allow you to enjoy your leftover pasta. But first, you need to preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the best temperature to reheat baked ziti.

This method takes a long time, but it guarantees that the cheese won’t get rubbery or chewy. Moreover, you can use this time to prepare a light salad to go with your baked ziti. 

If you have a whole casserole, you can add some marinara sauce and milk to restore the moisture to your leftover baked ziti. If you have some leftovers, arrange them in a baking dish and add the sauce. 

Frozen baked ziti will take more time to reheat in the oven, but if you forgot to let it thaw, you could just extend the reheating time. You should also keep your baking dish covered so your baked ziti doesn’t dry while you’re reheating it. 

Before reheating your baked ziti, check it and smell it. If it smells funny or you see any signs of mold, discard this casserole immediately. 

Here are the steps to reheat baked ziti in the oven:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. Add some marinara sauce to moisten your baked ziti, and sprinkle some parmesan, provolone, or Pecorino cheese on top. 
3. Cover your casserole or baking dish with aluminum foil and reheat the baked ziti for about 30 minutes. Extend the time to 45 minutes if you have frozen baked ziti. 
4. Check the pasta to make sure that it’s bubbling.
5. Remove the foil and reheat for another 15 to 20 minutes. 
6. Serve warm. 

Although this method isn’t ideal if you’re in a hurry, reheating pasta in the oven will maintain its texture and bring out the flavor of each ingredient. Adding some sauce will keep your baked ziti juicy and delicious even if you’ve kept it in the fridge for several days. 

Any oven will work, but a convection oven will be a better option because the internal fan circulates the hot air and heats your dish evenly. 

Removing the foil at the end will help build a nice crust on top of your baked ziti casserole. You can discard this step if you want your pasta dish to be juicy. 

How to reheat baked ziti in the toaster oven

Your toaster oven can save the day if you’re busy cooking other dishes in the oven. It’s also a better option if you don’t have a lot of leftovers you want to reheat. 

A toaster works exactly like an oven, except that it uses less power. This is why it will be an excellent option if you want to reheat a small amount of baked ziti for a single person.

The hot air circulates to heat your baked ziti from all angles, guaranteeing that you won’t end up with cold pasta or burned cheese. If you have been keeping your baked ziti in the fridge for more than one day, you need to freshen up the dish a little. 

Here are the steps to reheat baked ziti in the toaster oven:

1. Put your baked pasta in an oven-safe dish. If you have leftover sections, be careful not to break the pasta while moving it.
2. Preheat your toaster to 350 or 400°F.
3. Add some leftover sauce, cooking cream, or both to your baked ziti. 
4. Cover the dish with aluminum foil. 
5. Reheat your baked ziti for 45 minutes until it’s bubbling. 
6. Serve warm. 

You can sprinkle some grated cheese on top of your leftover baked ziti if the pasta doesn’t feel rich enough. Removing the foil for 10 minutes will brown the cheese at the top of your baked ziti, but you should cover the dish at the beginning to make sure that your casserole doesn’t dry out. 

If you have frozen baked ziti, you can either defrost it in the microwave or let it thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating it. But if you’re in a hurry, you can extend the heating time by 15 minutes to make sure that your pasta is heated all the way to the center.

Use a food thermometer to check your baked ziti’s temperature. If it measures more than 165°F, then your dish is ready to be served. 

How to reheat baked ziti in the microwave

Using a microwave might not be the best way to reheat some dishes, but it’s definitely one of the fastest and easiest ways to reheat a homemade baked ziti.

The heat waves created in the microwave heat your casserole from the inside out while retaining the juices that make your baked ziti even more delicious. While retaining moisture might not be what you want with other dishes, it definitely works for baked ziti. 

You can even use the microwave combined with other reheating methods for defrosting your baked ziti. It takes only a few minutes to thaw your frozen pasta in the microwave, compared to leaving it to thaw overnight in the fridge. Since there’s a special function for defrosting, you can be sure that the microwave won’t overcook your baked ziti, so it won’t burn or get an unpleasant texture. 

After your baked ziti has been fully thawed, you can use the reheat function in your microwave. This function emits enough heat to warm up food leftovers without actually overcooking them. If you don’t have this option, you can use low-heat. 

Here are the steps to reheat baked ziti in the microwave:

1. Place leftover baked ziti in a microwave-safe dish. 
2. For frozen pasta, activate the defrost setting between 5 and 10 minutes, stopping at 30 seconds increments to check on your baked ziti. 
3. Add some leftover sauce if you feel that the dish is too dry.
4. Cover your dish with cling film.
5. Use the reheat function for about 5 minutes, or choose the low-heat setting.
6. After 4 minutes, remove the cling film. 

You can sprinkle some cheese on top of our baked ziti before reheating it to give it a fresh look. But remember that extending the reheating time in the microwave can make your pasta chewy or rubbery. 

This method is suitable for those in a hurry because leftover baked ziti can literally save the day. It also comes in handy during your lunch break at work, since you can use the microwave at the office.

Can You Reheat Baked Ziti?

Yes, baked ziti can be as good as fresh when reheated, and adding a few ingredients will make your pasta taste and look like it has just been made. 

Reheating baked ziti in the oven works amazingly but give it a little bit more time if you want to reheat frozen baked ziti. You can add some leftover sauce, milk, or sauce to the dish to make sure that it won’t be dry. 

A toaster oven works in the same way, but it will be faster and more convenient to use if you have a tiny amount that you want to reheat. Sprinkle a little bit of cheese to make your dish tastier. 

If you’re in a hurry, a microwave will be your best option as it keeps your baked ziti moist and doesn’t dry the sauce. You can even use a microwave to defrost your frozen baked ziti and use one of the other methods to reheat it.

Nothing tastes worse than cold pasta, but you don’t have to eat that. Following our step-by-step guarantees that you will never waste any leftover baked ziti.