Baked Ziti

Close up of spoon digging into the pasta dish.

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: baked pasta dish

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 1

Servings:

Calories: 879kcal

Author: Malinda Linnebur

This Baked Ziti is full of flavor and easy to make I promise it will become a new family favorite! It's full of cheesy goodness, a flavorful meat sauce, and perfectly cooked pasta!

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Ingredients

1 pound (454g) ziti pasta
1 pound (500g) ground beef
1 pound (500g) Italian sausage
1 large onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 (25 oz) (708g) jars marinara sauce
4 teaspoons Italian seasoning; divided
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 ( 15 oz) (425g) container ricotta cheese
3 cups (340g) shredded mozzarella cheese; divided
1 cup (100g) grated parmesan cheese; divided
1 large egg

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish; set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook noodles until a couple minutes before al dente. Drain and lightly toss with a little oil to prevent sticking.
Meanwhile, brown ground beef and Italian sausage with the onion until meat is no longer pink. Stir in garlic for 30 seconeds. Stir in marinara sauce, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Simmer on low for 10 minutes.
In a medium sized bowl combine the ricotta cheese, 1 cup shredded mozzarella, ½ cup grated parmesan, egg, and 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning.
Spread 1½ cups of the meat sauce on bottom of prepared baking dish. Top with ½ of the pasta and ½ of the meat sauce. Spread all of the ricotta mixture over the sauce. Top with remaining pasta and meat sauce. Sprinkle with reserved cheeses. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Notes

STORAGE: Store cooled leftovers, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
FREEZER FRIENDLY: Wrap completely cooled pasta dish in plastic wrap and then in heavy-duty foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Remember to remove the plastic wrap before reheating.
MAKE AHEAD: Make baked ziti and instead of baking cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Can also wrap in plastic wrap and heavy-duty foil and freeze at this point. Remove pasta dish from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.

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