Description
This delicious Baked Ziti recipe is a comforting and satisfying dish that’s perfect for family dinners or gatherings. Layers of ziti pasta, flavorful meat sauce, creamy ricotta cheese, and gooey melted mozzarella come together to create a hearty and cheesy casserole that everyone will love.
Ingredients
Scale
Ziti Pasta:
- 1 pound ziti pasta
Meat Sauce:
- 1 pound Italian sausage or ground beef
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jar (24 ounces) marinara sauce
- 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Cheese Mixture:
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Garnish:
- Chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Cook the pasta: Cook the ziti according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Prepare the meat sauce: Brown the Italian sausage or ground beef with onion and garlic. Add marinara sauce, tomato sauce, herbs, salt, and pepper. Simmer.
- Make the cheese mixture: Combine ricotta cheese and egg.
- Assemble the dish: Toss cooked ziti with meat sauce. Layer pasta, ricotta mixture, and cheese in a baking dish.
- Bake: Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake until cheese is bubbly.
- Serve: Garnish with parsley and serve warm.
Notes
- You can prepare this dish up to a day in advance and refrigerate it before baking.
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a little heat if desired.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 720mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 90mg
