Description
Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce is a comforting pasta bake filled with layers of al dente ziti, rich meat marinara, and melted cheeses. This easy Italian-American classic is perfect for weeknight dinners or meal prep. Discover the best baked ziti recipe that’s cheesy, hearty, and crowd-pleasing.
Ingredients
16 oz ziti pasta
1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
24 oz marinara sauce
1 ½ cups ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
Instructions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the ziti pasta until al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef with diced onion until browned. Drain excess fat.
3. Stir in the garlic, marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes.
4. In a bowl, season the ricotta cheese with a pinch of salt and pepper.
5. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
6. In a 9×13-inch baking dish, spread a layer of the meat sauce, then half the pasta, followed by ricotta, and mozzarella. Repeat layers and finish with sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan on top.
7. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden.
8. Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Bake uncovered for the last few minutes to get that golden cheesy top.
Add crushed red pepper to the sauce for a slight kick.
You can swap beef with Italian sausage for deeper flavor.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 portion
- Calories: 530
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 870mg
- Fat: 27g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 80mg