If you’re tired of making dry baked ziti that lacks flavor, this recipe will save the day! A wonderfully saucy casserole with a simple-to-make yet delicious meat sauce is topped with ricotta and mozzarella cheeses and baked to perfection in just about an hour.
This recipe serves 8 people, so it’s ideal for big weekend dinners, family parties, or planned leftovers since it reheats so well.
Why This Recipe Really Works
There are hundreds of baked ziti recipes out there in the world, so why choose this one?
Well, I tested and reworked this recipe until I was completely thrilled with it! I made some specific adjustments that keep the flavors classic, but improve the overall texture of the traditional ziti dish, which can often turn out too dry, too dense, or too bland.
First, we’ll make a simple meat sauce that tastes like you cooked it all day long, but really it only takes a few minutes. There’s no need to cook the sauce down, as that just means that there’s less sauce to work with, and it can lead to a dry casserole! My version is saucy and moist all the way through.
Stir in already cooked ziti pasta (or any other shape that you enjoy). No-boil baked pasta recipes have their place, but in a recipe like this one, that method leads to an overly heavy and dense final result.
Finally, let’s add lots of cheese! I’m layering the ricotta and mozzarella cheeses on in between and on top of the pasta, rather than stirring them all in. Again, this keeps the dish lighter, with creamy ricotta pockets and browned mozzarella cheese in every bite.
Ingredient Notes
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Pasta: Ziti is traditional, but this recipe will work with penne, rigatoni, or other short tube pasta shapes. Cook the pasta separately in salted, boiling water until it’s just al dente, with some bite to it. Save a cup of the pasta water on the side. You might need it later to thin out your sauce.
- Ground Beef: Cooking with lean ground beef saves you the messy step of draining away the excess grease.
- Tomato Sauce: For simplicity, use a can of tomato sauce and a can of diced tomatoes with their juice to create the sauce. Seasoned well with Italian seasoning, onions, garlic, torn basil leaves, and a touch of sugar, this is a flavorful sauce that won’t disappoint. Fresh basil leaves added to the sauce while it simmers give a wonderful flavor, but if you don’t have fresh basil, you can leave it out.
- Cheese: Three types of cheese are needed to make this classic ziti. Dollops of ricotta cheese are spread over the top of the pasta, then covered in layers of shredded mozzarella and grated parmesan. I do this twice so that there is a layer of cheese in the center and on the top. Baking the ziti with the foil off for the last 10 minutes will give you a nutty, browned, cheesy top.
Tip!
Grate your own cheese! Pre-shredded or bagged cheese has starches added to it to prevent clumping, which will also prevent even, smooth melting.
Making Baked Ziti with Ground Beef Ahead of Time
Just like classic lasagna, this Italian baked dish can be assembled the day before and then baked. Just put everything together, cover with foil, and place the dish in the fridge. Bake directly from the fridge, adding about 10 additional minutes to the covered bake time.
You can also bake your baked ziti, let it cool, and then store it in the fridge. Individual servings can be reheated in the microwave, or the whole casserole, or larger servings can be heated in the oven until warmed through.
To Freeze Baked Ziti: Assemble the casserole in a disposable pan. Wrap with a double layer of foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge (or for two nights) before baking as directed in the recipe card.
What To Serve With Baked Ziti
I usually serve this with garlic bread and a simple green salad to round out the meal.
If I have a little extra time, I am likely to bake up a fresh loaf of no-knead bread or some Olive Garden-inspired breadsticks.
Substituions and Tips
- Full-fat ricotta is so rich and delicious here, but feel free to use part-skim ricotta if that’s what you prefer. You can also make baked ziti without ricotta, but the result will be much less creamy.
- Ground turkey can be used in place of ground beef. Since ground turkey is much leaner than ground beef, it can be drier, so you may need to add extra moisture to the sauce in the form of pasta water, more tomato sauce, or a splash of broth. For extra flavor, try baked ziti with Italian sausage, or a combination of sausage, beef and/or turkey.
- Use your deepest 9×13-inch baking dish for this recipe to avoid any overflow.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil that you’ve sprayed with cooking spray for the first 20 minutes in the oven. The foil will trap the steam to keep everything moist, and the spray oil will keep the cheese from sticking. Uncover the ziti for the last 10 minutes to brown the top.
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Baked Ziti with Ground Beef
Equipment
- Large pot
- Large pasta pot
- Colander
- 9 by 13 inch baking dish, 22 x 33 cm
Ingredients
Pasta
- 1 pound (450 g) ziti pasta
Meat sauce
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 pound (450 g) lean ground beef 90 percent lean
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt divided
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 14-ounce can (400 g) tomato sauce or passata
- 1 15-ounce can (425 g) can diced tomatoes undrained
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves torn
Cheese layers
- 1 15-ounce tub (425 g) whole milk ricotta cheese
- 12 ounces (340 g) low-moisture mozzarella cheese shredded
- 2 ounces (70 g) Parmesan cheese finely grated
For serving
- Fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil and cook the ziti until al dente according to package directions, usually about 9 to 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until soft and translucent.
- Add the ground beef, Italian seasoning, 1 ½ teaspoons of the salt, and the black pepper. Cook until the beef is very well browned, breaking it up as it cooks. If there is excess fat, carefully spoon it off.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Stir in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, sugar, and torn basil leaves. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the flavors come together. Taste and adjust with the remaining salt if needed.
- Add the cooked ziti to the sauce and stir until the pasta is evenly coated.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Spread half of the pasta mixture into a 9 by 13 inch (22 x 33 cm) baking dish.
- Dollop half of the ricotta over the pasta, then sprinkle with half of the mozzarella and half of the Parmesan.
- Add the remaining pasta mixture, then repeat with the remaining ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan.
- Lightly spray the inside of a sheet of foil with cooking spray, then cover the baking dish loosely, spray side down. Bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the foil and continue baking uncovered for 10 minutes, until the center is hot and bubbly and the cheese is lightly golden.
- Let rest for 10 minutes before serving, then garnish with fresh basil leaves.
Notes:
- Dolloping the ricotta rather than mixing it in keeps the layers creamy and prevents the pasta from tearing.
- If the sauce thickens too much, stir in a small splash of reserved pasta water before assembling the casserole.
- Make ahead: Assemble this dish up to 24 hours ahead of time and store in the refrigerator. Bake straight from the fridge, adding about 10 minutes to the baking time.
- Storage: Keep leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat covered in the oven at 350°F (180°C) or microwave individual portions.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
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