Baked Ziti is a popular casserole with ziti pasta and a Neapolitan-style tomato sauce characteristic of Italian-American cuisine. It is a form of pasta al forno.
Learn how to make a Baked Ziti with this simple and easy recipe!
Baked Ziti
1
servings30
minutes20
minutesIf you’ve got a craving for lasagna but don’t want to go through all the hassle, this easy Baked Ziti recipe is for you.
Today we’re making Baked Ziti. Now Baked Ziti is classic comfort food made with ground beef, tomato sauce and plenty of cheese. It’s an easy single serving recipe ideal for anyone cooking for themselves and it might be even enough for two people if you serve it with a side dish.
Ingredients
2 ounces dried ziti (or penne pasta)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 clove garlic , minced
4 ounces ground beef
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt , divided
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1 cup Marinara sauce or tomato sauce (plus 2 tablespoons for the bottom of the dish)
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
6 tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese , divided
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese , divided
Directions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the oil in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat.
- Add the onions, garlic, ground beef, a quarter of a teaspoon of the salt and the red pepper flakes and cook stirring occasionally until the meat is cooked through and no longer pink. About 8 minutes.
- Stir in the marinara sauce and bring to a simmer.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the cooked pasta and set the pan aside.
- Combine the Ricotta, two tablespoons of the Mozzarella cheese, two tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese and the remaining quarter teaspoon of salt in a small bowl.
- Fold it into the pasta and meat mixture.
- Spoon two tablespoons of the Marinara sauce into a lightly greased five inch baking dish.
- Top with half of the pasta in the meat mixture sprinkle two tablespoons of the shredded mozzarella over the noodles.
- Add the rest of the meat sauce and the noodles and top with two tablespoons of Mozzarella cheese and two tablespoons of Parmesan cheese.
- Cover and bake on the middle rack of the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
- Your Baked Ziti is ready!