This delicious baked ziti casserole is similar to lasagna—a layered dish of pasta, ricotta, meat sauce, and mozzarella—but it's not as time consuming. The ziti is cooked and tossed with the cheeses and meat sauce, and then layered with more sauce and cheese before it's baked until golden and bubbling.
In this recipe, lean ground beef and Italian sausage are the base for the tomato meat sauce, which is flavored with onion, garlic, basil, oregano, and crushed red pepper. This ideal blend of meats not only tastes great but also helps the dish to stay moist during cooking.
This hearty pasta bake makes a fabulous meal with a simple salad and crusty garlic bread.
Ingredients
For the Meat Sauce:
-
Nonstick cooking spray
-
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
-
1 pound lean ground beef ,at least 85% lean
-
1/2 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
-
1 medium onion, chopped
-
2 cloves garlic, minced
-
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
-
2 tablespoons tomato paste
-
1 teaspoon dried leaf basil
-
1/2 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
-
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
-
Kosher salt, to taste
-
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the Ricotta Mixture:
-
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
-
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
-
1 large egg
-
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
For the Baked Dish:
-
8 ounces ziti pasta
-
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
-
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese ,divided
-
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Steps to Make It
-
Gather the ingredients.
-
Heat the oven to 350 F. Lightly grease or spray a 2 1/2- to a 3-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Make the Meat Sauce
-
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef, sausage, and onion. Cook, stirring until the meat is no longer pink and the onion is translucent.
-
Add the garlic to the meat mixture and cook, while stirring, for 1 minute longer.
-
Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, and crushed red pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 to 12 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed.
Make the Ricotta Mixture
-
In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg, and mozzarella cheese. Stir until well blended.
Make the Pasta
-
While the sauce is simmering, cook the ziti in boiling salted water following the directions on the package. Drain well.
-
Add the hot drained pasta to the bowl with the ricotta cheese mixture. Toss lightly to blend.
-
Add 2 cups of the meat sauce to the ziti mixture.
Layer the Baked Dish
-
Transfer half of the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish.
-
Spread about half of the remaining meat sauce over the pasta, and then top with the Parmesan cheese and 1 cup of the remaining mozzarella.
-
Top with the remaining pasta mixture.
-
Finish with the remaining meat sauce, remaining mozzarella cheese, and sprinkle with the chopped parsley.
Bake the Pasta Dish
-
Bake for 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly around the edges.
-
Serve and enjoy.
Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
---|---|
640 | Calories |
37g | Fat |
26g | Carbs |
52g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Servings: 6 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 640 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 37g | 47% |
Saturated Fat 17g | 84% |
Cholesterol 176mg | 59% |
Sodium 1255mg | 55% |
Total Carbohydrate 26g | 9% |
Dietary Fiber 4g | 14% |
Total Sugars 9g | |
Protein 52g | |
Vitamin C 17mg | 84% |
Calcium 623mg | 48% |
Iron 6mg | 33% |
Potassium 1095mg | 23% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
Recipe Tags: