Description
This Cheesy Baked Ziti is the ultimate comfort food for busy nights. It combines tender pasta, a robust meat sauce, and three different types of cheese to create a gooey, savory, and perfectly golden meal that tastes like it came from a fancy Italian kitchen in just 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound ziti pasta (or penne/rigatoni)
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage or lean ground beef
- 24 oz (1 jar) marinara sauce
- 15 oz whole milk ricotta cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Boil the Pasta: Preheat oven to 400°F. Boil ziti in salted water for 2 minutes less than the package instructions (al dente). Drain and set aside.
- Brown the Meat: In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground meat and minced garlic until browned. Drain excess fat.
- Simmer the Sauce: Stir in the marinara sauce, oregano, salt, and pepper. Simmer on low for 5 minutes.
- Prepare the Cheese Mix: In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, egg, Parmesan, and 1 cup of mozzarella. Stir until creamy.
- Assemble: Spread a thin layer of meat sauce in a 9×13 inch baking dish. Toss remaining pasta with the rest of the meat sauce and gently fold in the ricotta mixture.
- Bake to Perfection: Top with the remaining cup of mozzarella. Bake until the cheese is melted and golden brown. Rest for 5 minutes and garnish with parsley before serving.
Notes
Cook the pasta al dente as it will finish softening in the oven. For a spicy kick, add red pepper flakes or use hot Italian sausage. Resist stirring the pasta too much during the assembly phase to keep the pockets of cheese intact. Let the dish rest for 5 minutes after baking so the sauce can set before serving.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 480
- Fat: 22g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Protein: 25g