Description
Indulge in the ultimate comfort food with this delicious Baked Ziti recipe. Layers of pasta, flavorful meat sauce, creamy ricotta, and gooey cheeses come together for a satisfying meal that the whole family will love.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta:
- 1 lb ziti pasta
Meat Sauce:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef or Italian sausage
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (24 oz) jar marinara sauce
- 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Cheese Mixture:
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 375°F and grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Cook pasta: Cook ziti pasta according to package instructions, then drain and set aside.
- Prepare meat sauce: Brown ground beef (or sausage), onion, and garlic in olive oil. Add marinara sauce, tomato sauce, seasonings, and simmer.
- Mix cheese: Combine ricotta cheese with egg until smooth.
- Layer: Combine pasta with meat sauce and ricotta mixture. Layer in baking dish with cheeses.
- Bake: Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then remove foil and bake for additional 10–15 minutes until bubbly and golden.
- Rest and serve: Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with parsley if desired.
Notes
- You can substitute cottage cheese for ricotta or add spinach to the ricotta layer for extra veggies.
- This dish freezes well—just assemble and freeze before baking.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 670 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 41 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 27 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
