Baked Ziti with Ricotta
This baked ziti is the ultimate cozy meal! It has tender pasta, a rich meat sauce, and lots of creamy cheese, all baked until it's hot and bubbly. It’s a super tasty casserole that's perfect for dinner tonight.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ziti pasta
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 32 oz marinara sauce
- 14.5 oz crushed tomatoes
- 16 oz mozzarella cheese shredded
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta: Get your ziti pasta boiling until it's al dente, which means it still has a slight bite.
- Brown the Beef: In your big skillet, cook ground beef with the chopped onion, making sure to break up the meat.
- Season the Sauce: Add your minced garlic cloves, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Then pour in marinara and crushed tomatoes, and let it simmer.
- Combine and Layer: Gently stir the cooked pasta into your sauce. Spread half of this mixture in your 9x13 dish, and then top it with dollops of ricotta and half the mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Final Layer and Bake: Add the rest of the pasta over the cheese and top it with all the remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes.
- Uncover and Finish: Take the foil off and let it bake for another 10-15 minutes, just until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and a little golden.
Notes
- For the best texture, remember to only boil your pasta until it's al dente so it doesn't get too soft.
- You can store any leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days for a quick lunch.
- This dish freezes really well! Just cover it tightly and it will last in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- To get dinner ready early, you can put the whole casserole together in the morning and keep it in the fridge.
- If you decide to use 80/20 ground beef, don’t forget to drain the extra fat after you brown it.