Baked Ziti
I just LOVE a baked pasta dish served with warm garlic bread or a delicious side salad. This baked ziti recipe is so easy to make and is perfect for leftovers or even meal prep!
Baked Ziti is one of those meals that just brings me back to my childhood. I remember coming home from a friend’s house and the house smelling like an Italian restaurant. I knew that meant Baked Ziti and garlic bread were on the menu! I grew up in a very Italian household with Italian grandparents that could cook just about any authentic Italian meal you can think of, but this is a faster, easier version of the classic meal that makes it a bit more realistic for a busy family during the week.
My family enjoys using jarred pasta sauce for this recipe (Rao’s is our personal favorite) for the sake of time and sanity, but you can absolutely make homemade, fresh pasta sauce if that’s something you’re interested in. I have linked my favorite recipe from Chef Dennis Littley HERE.
Ingredients
- Ziti, Penne, or Rigatoni noodles
- Ground beef or Italian Sausage
- Pasta Sauce
- Ricotta Cheese or Cottage Cheese
- Egg
- Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- Grated Parmesan
- Italian Seasoning
How to Make Baked Ziti
Start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees. Cook the noodles according to package instructions, drain, set aside. In a large pan, heat the ground beef over medium heat until fully cooked (about 5 to 7 minutes), strain grease. Reduce heat to low and add pasta sauce and Italian seasoning. In a mixing bowl, stir together ricotta, egg, 1 cup mozzarella, and parmesan cheese. In a large bowl (or the large pot used to cook noodles), combine the noodles, the meat sauce mixture, and ricotta mixture until everything is well mixed. Pour pasta into a 9×13 baking dish. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese and bake for 25 minutes. I usually let it broil for the last 3 minutes to brown the cheese on top!
Baked Ziti
Ingredients
- 16 oz Ziti pasta
- 1 lb ground beef or Italian sausage
- 32 oz pasta sauce
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella divided
- 16 oz ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
- Cook the noodles according to package instructions in large pot, drain, return to pot.
- In 12 inch skillet, heat the ground beef over medium heat until fully cooked (5-7 minutes). Strain grease.
- Reduce heat to low and add pasta sauce and Italian seasoning.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together ricotta, egg, 1 cup mozzarella, and parmesan cheese.
- Add the ricotta mixture and meat sauce mixture to the pot of noodles and stir well until noodles are fully coated.
- Pour pasta into a 9×13 baking dish. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese and bake for 25 minutes.
- For a slightly browned, bubbly top, turn oven to broil for last 3 minutes of cook time.