Healthy Baked Ziti With Ground Beef

Baked ziti with ricotta and meat sauce is classic comfort food, and it will become one of your family's favorite meals.

If you are looking for a hearty, cheesy, comforting family dinner that is a slam dunk with even the pickiest eaters, you came to the right place.😉👌🏻 This one is perfect to put in the family dinners rotation.

Plus, it makes a bunch, so you are setting yourself up for some leftovers (most likely).

Ingredients

For tastiest results, always use the best quality ingredients you have access to.

To make this baked ziti recipe, you will need the following:

• ziti or penne pasta
• olive oil
• Italian sausage or ground beef
• garlic
• marinara sauce (homemade or store bought)
• ricotta cheese
• egg
• mozzarella cheese
• Parmesan cheese
• fresh basil
• Italian seasoning
• salt and pepper

Store-bought marinara is perfectly fine, or you can use homemade if you want.

You can also substitue ground beef (seasoned generously with garlic powder, salt and pepper) for the sausage in a pinch.

In a pinch, I have also made the ricotta mixture without an egg, and it still works fine.

Of course, for best results, follow the original recipe as is.

How to make baked ziti

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9×13-baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add in a pinch of salt. Pour in the pasta and cook the pasta until al dente then drain the pasta using a colander.

Drizzle pasta with a little olive oil and toss so it doesn't stick together. Pour the pasta into a large bowl and set aside.

While the pasta is cooking you can prepare the rest of the ingredients. Heat up a large sauté pan over medium heat.

Once the pan is hot, add the Italian sausage and cook for about 5-7 minutes until it is no longer pink, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks. For the last minute of cooking, add in the garlic and cook until fragrant.

Use a spoon (or even paper towels) to remove any excess fat from the pan and discard the excess fat and set the cooked sausage aside.

In a medium size mixing bowl, combine together the ricotta, egg, ¾ cup of  mozzarella cheese, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, basil and Italian seasoning. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.

Reserve ½ cup of the marinara sauce and then add the rest of  the marinara, cooked sausage and ricotta to the bowl with the pasta and toss well. Season with more salt and pepper if needed.

Now it's time to assemble baked ziti in a baking dish. Here is how to do it.

Spread the reserved ½ cup of sauce into the bottom of the 9×13 pan. Pour half of the pasta in an even layer over the sauce and top with half of the shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

Repeat with the remaining pasta and cheese.

Place the baked ziti into the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is nice and melty and the edges and top are slightly golden brown.

Remove, let cook, garnish with some chopped basil, serve hot and enjoy!

Y'all let me know if you try it.

FAQs

How can I keep baked ziti from drying out?

Follow the recipe ingredients exactly to ensure the correct ratio of sauce to pasta, and you should have the perfect texture.

Should I bake ziti covered or uncovered?

This recipe works best baking uncovered.

Do you have to boil the pasta before baking?

Yes, this recipe boils the pasta before baking. This ensures the casserole isn't dried out, and it provides the best, most consistent texture.

What does adding an egg to ricotta cheese do?

Adding the egg simply helps hold/ bind the casserole together a bit better to prevent oozing when you are serving. That being said, it is still perfectly delicious without an egg.

How can I store baked ziti? Can I freeze it?

Store in the refrigerator for 3 – 5 days. Yes, you can freeze. I recommend preparing the baked ziti casserole through all the assembly steps, and do not bake it. Freeze it prior to the baking steps, and make sure it is well covered. Thaw it and bake it when you get ready to enjoy it.

Can I make this recipe ahead of time?

Yes! I recommend preparing everything all the way through the assembly steps, and refrigerate until you are ready to bake it.

Other recipes you may enjoy

If you liked this baked ziti recipe, here are some similar recipes you may enjoy.

• Lazy lasagna
• Chicken pesto pasta
• Shrimp scampi linguine
• Pasta primavera
• Pasta e fagioli soup
• Caprese orzo pasta salad
• Tortellini soup
• Chicken pasta bake
• Chicken tetrazzini casserole
• Lasagna soup

Baked Ziti Recipe

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Baked Ziti with ricotta and meat sacue

Baked ziti with ricotta and meat sauce is classic comfort food, and it will become one of your family's favorite meals! Easy and tasty👌🏻

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 569 kcal

• 1 pound ziti or penne pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil – plus more to drizzle over pasta to prevent sticking
• 1 pound Italian sausage or ground beef
• 2 cloves of garlic – peeled and minced
• 32 oz marinara sauce homemade or store bought
• 15 oz ricotta cheese
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese
• 3/4 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• Kosher salt
• Ground black pepper
• Chopped basil – optional for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9×13-baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add in a pinch of salt. Pour in the pasta and cook the pasta until al dente then drain the pasta using a colander. Drizzle pasta with a little olive oil and toss so it doesn't stick together. Pour the pasta into a large bowl and set aside.

3. While the pasta is cooking you can prepare the rest of the ingredients. Heat up a large saute pan over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add the Italian sausage and cook for about 5-7 minutes until it is no longer pink, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks. For the last minute of cooking, add in the garlic and cook until fragrant. Use a spoon to remove any excess fat from the pan and discard the excess fat and set the cooked sausage aside.

4. In a medium size mixing bowl, combine together the ricotta, egg, ¾ cup of mozzarella cheese, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, basil and Italian seasoning. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.

5. Reserve ½ cup of the sauce and then add the rest of the marinara, cooked sausage and ricotta to the bowl with the pasta and toss well. Season with more salt and pepper if needed.

6. Spread the reserved ½ cup of sauce into the bottom of the 9×13 pan. Pour half of the pasta in an even layer over the sauce and top with half of the shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Repeat with the remaining pasta and cheese.

7. Place the baked ziti into the oven and cook for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is nice and melty and the edges and top are slightly golden brown.

8. Remove, let cook, garnish with some chopped basil, serve hot and enjoy!

Nutritional information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator.

We used Italian turkey sausage for this recipe, and that was used in the calculation. Using pork sausage is delicious too, but will change the nutritional value.

Nutrition Facts

Baked Ziti with ricotta and meat sacue

Amount Per Serving

Calories 569 Calories from Fat 216

% Daily Value*

Fat 24g 37%

Saturated Fat 12g 75%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 2g

Monounsaturated Fat 8g

Cholesterol 108mg 36%

Sodium 1495mg 65%

Potassium 718mg 21%

Carbohydrates 54g 18%

Fiber 4g 17%

Sugar 9g 10%

Protein 34g 68%

Vitamin A 1140IU 23%

Vitamin C 26mg 32%

Calcium 403mg 40%

Iron 8mg 44%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Source: https://www.apinchofhealthy.com/baked-ziti/

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