Baked ziti is like lasagna minus the noodles. Messy. Gooey. Decadent. Ridiculous. In every good sense of the word.
Baked ziti is a classic baked pasta dish. It's basically some kind of tomato or meat sauce baked in a dish with some kind of cheese and, of course, ziti noodles—unless you're me use whateverpasta shape you have on hand like mostaccioli. That's okay too. Some people just use tomato or marinara sauce. That, of course, would never fly in this house. There must be meat. Meat there must be. I use a combination of ground beef and Italian sausage, but you could use all ground beef if you wanted. As for the type of cheese, some people use only mozzarella, while others prefer use a gooey cheese mixture stirred throughout. I'm in the latter camp and oh my ever-loving goodness is this tasty.
What's the difference between baked ziti and lasagna?
It's all in the pasta shape and how it's put together. Lasagna uses... well, lasagna noodles! The noodles are stacked in a baking dish with cheese and sauce between each layer. Baked ziti, however, uses ziti noodles that are tossed with sauce and cheese. There's still some layering involved but only a little so it comes together quicker and easier than lasagna.
Does baked ziti contain ricotta cheese?
It sure does. The ricotta is mixed with two other types of cheese and egg to create a creamy mixture that coats the pasta. You could always use cottage cheese if you don't have ricotta.
Can baked ziti be made ahead of time?
Yep! It can be put together up to two days in advance, covered, and stored un-baked in the fridge. Just bake it when the time comes! You'll need to plan to cook it 15 minutes (or so) longer than these directions say if it's coming from the fridge.
How long does baked ziti last in the fridge?
This recipe makes great leftovers! Baked ziti will last up to 4 days in the fridge. Make sure to wrap the dish tightly in plastic wrap or foil, or store leftovers in an airtight container.
What is a good side dish for baked ziti?
With all of the hearty meat sauce and rich, gooey cheese in this dish, baked ziti goes great with sides that are cold and refreshing. I love to serve this with a fresh green salad. And what's a pasta dish without garlic cheese bread? A disappointment, that's what.
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- Yields:
- 12 serving(s)
- Prep Time:
- 15 mins
- Cook Time:
- 45 mins
- Total Time:
- 1 hr
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp.
olive oil
- 1
whole large onion, diced
- 3
cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb.
Italian sausage
- 1 lb.
ground beef
- 1
(28-oz.) canwhole tomatoes, with juice
- 2
(14.5-oz.) cans tomato sauce or marinara sauce
- 2 tsp.
Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp.
red pepper flakes
Kosher salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
- 16 oz.
ziti or mostaccioli, cooked until not quite al dente
- 15 oz.
whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 1/2 lb.
mozzarella cheese, grated and divided
- 1/2 c.
grated parmesan cheese
- 1
egg
Freshly chopped parsley
Directions
- Step1Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté for several minutes, or until starting to soften. Add the Italian sausage and ground beef and cook until browned. Drain off the fat, leaving a bit behind for flavor and moisture.
- Step2Add the tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Stir and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. After that time, remove 3 to 4 cups of the sauce to a bowl to cool down.
- Step3Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Step4To a separate bowl, add the ricotta cheese, 2 cups of grated mozzarella, parmesan, egg, salt, and pepper. Stir together just a couple of times (do not mix completely).
- Step5Drain the pasta and rinse under cool water to stop the cooking and cool it down. Pour the cooked pasta into the bowl with the cheese mixture and toss to slightly combine (there should still be large lumps). Add the cooled meat sauce and toss to combine.
- Step6Add half of the coated pasta to a large casserole dish. Spoon half of the remaining sauce over the top, then top with half of the remaining mozzarella cheese. Repeat with another layer of the coated pasta, sauce, and mozzarella. Bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle chopped parsley over the pasta before serving!
Start by mincing up some garlic.
And dice some onion.
Then throw the onion and garlic in a pot with some olive oil over medium heat. Stir them around and cook them for a few minutes, just long enough for the house to smell so good that everyone runs into the kitchen, embraces you, and says "What's for dinner, darling mother and wife? We're ready to eat."
And then you yell "Psyche!" and then you cackle in a very evil manner.
Grab some of that there Italian sausage. (Pronounced "Eye-talian")…
And mash it in the pot with the onions and garlic.
Throw in some hamburger, too.
Or just use sausage!
Or just use hamburger!
It's a free country, Maynard!
Sorry I called you Maynard.
I’m also monumentally sorry about all the exclamation points.
Stir it around until the meat’s all brown.
Drain off the fat (but please leave a little bit to make sure the whole baked dish is nice and moist and oh-so-decadent) and pour in a big ol’ can of whole tomatoes…
And a regular ol' can or two of tomato sauce.
You could also just throw in a couple of jars of prepared marinara sauce. But I love the chunks of 'maters.
Stir it around and add some salt and pepper.
Throw in some Italian seasoning… or whatever mix of things like parsley, basil, oregano, etc., that you want.
And for a little spice…red pepper flakes!
Then just let the sauce simmer on low.
While the sauce is simmering, bawl up some mostaccioli.
Drain it just before it reaches the al dente stage. It's going to bake in the oven later, so you want it to have a fighting chance to have some bite when it’s done.
The sauce looks good!
So spoon a good three or four cups of the sauce into a separate bowl to cool off a bit.
You'll see why in approximately 1.0293874 minutes.
Meantime, make the cheese mixture. Use your very scary hand that resembles a naked chicken to grab a tub of ricotta.
Plop it into a bowl, then laugh when it plops into the bowl in one piece.
Hahahahahahaha!
Hahaha!
Haha.
Ha.
I feel better now.
Grate a bunch of mozzarella…
And throw it into the bowl.
Next, add a bunch of parmesan/romano/asiago… anything in that family, or a combination of the three.
Crack in an egg, and add some salt and pepper.
Then give it a few stirs. Not enough to totally mix it together—you want big clumps of ricotta still intact.
Throw in the (cooled, rinsed) pasta…
And toss it in the cheese mixture—again, don't mix the heck out of it. Just toss. Toss peacefully.
Now just pour on the sauce that’s been cooling.
I love life.
Toss it as you go…
And add some more if you think it needs it. You want it to be really creamy, but really saucy too.
Not to be picky or anything!
Ha.
Now, pour half the coated pasta into a very big, very honkin' casserole dish.
Spoon some extra sauce over the top…
Then grate some more mozzarella and sprinkle it over the sauce.
Add the rest of the pasta, packing it down a bit after you add it.
Then spoon on the rest of the sauce…
And add more mozzarella.
Actually, have your daughter add more mozzarella.
Then check her fingernails and say, "Ew! Grody, man."
Then listen to her retort, "I learned it from you, mom."
Then cry and imagine a different way of life. One that involves lovely fingernails and pantyhose.
Then put all of those thoughts out of your mind. It's best not to go there.
Bake it in the oven until it's nice and bubbly and awesome!
Then sprinkle on some chopped fresh parsley if you have it.
Or don't, if you don't have it. I'm easy.
Come and get it!
Yum.
You can also try slicing it into squares… but it needs to sit and set a bit first.
Have I mentioned this is delicious?
You'll like it.
You'll love it!
You'll devour it.
