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A serving of baked ziti with meat sauce and ricotta cheese.
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Baked Ziti

This baked ziti recipe is layers of pasta with meat sauce and three types of cheese, all cooked together to golden brown perfection. A hearty dinner option that's perfect for feeding a crowd!
Course Main
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 699kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

For the sauce

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 pound ground beef I use 90% lean
  • 1 pound mild Italian sausage casings removed
  • 1/2 cup onion finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons garlic minced
  • 24 ounce jar marinara sauce
  • 8 ounce can tomato sauce
  • salt and pepper to taste

For the ricotta mixture

  • 15 ounces ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
  • 3/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded

For assembly

  • 16 ounces ziti pasta cooked according to package directions
  • 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • cooking spray

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9"x13" pan with cooking spray.

For the sauce

  • Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add the ground beef and sausage to the pan. Season the meat with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Cook the meat for 3 minutes, breaking it up into small pieces with a spatula. Add the onion to the pan. Cook for an additional 5 minutes or until meat is browned and cooked through and onion is tender. Drain any excess grease from the pan.
  • Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the marinara sauce and tomato sauce to the pan and bring the sauce to a simmer.
  • Let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes.

For the ricotta

  • While the sauce is simmering, stir together the ricotta, egg, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Mix until thoroughly blended.

For assembly

  • Place 1/3 of the sauce in the bottom of the pan. Add 1/2 the pasta on top of the sauce.
  • Place dollops of the ricotta cheese mixture over the ziti, along with 1/3 of the sauce.
  • Add another layer of ziti pasta, then the remaining sauce on top. Sprinkle 2 cups of mozzarella cheese over the top.
  • Bake covered for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until pasta is bubbly and cheese is melted and browned.
  • Sprinkle with parsley, then serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 699kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 165mg | Sodium: 711mg | Potassium: 943mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1090IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 450mg | Iron: 4mg