Baked Ziti Ground Beef (Print Version)
Savory baked pasta with ground beef, marinara sauce, and melted cheeses, perfect for family meals.
# What You Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 1 pound ziti pasta
→ Meat
02 - 1 pound ground beef (80/20 recommended)
→ Vegetables & Aromatics
03 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
→ Sauce
05 - 3 cups marinara sauce (store-bought or homemade)
06 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
07 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
08 - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Cheeses
10 - 1 cup ricotta cheese
11 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
12 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
→ Other
13 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
14 - Fresh basil or parsley, for garnish (optional)
# How To Make:
01 - Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or a small amount of olive oil.
02 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook ziti pasta until just al dente according to package directions. Drain well and set aside.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté for 3–4 minutes until softened and translucent. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Add ground beef to the skillet, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Cook until browned and cooked through, about 5–6 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary.
05 - Stir in marinara sauce, dried basil, dried oregano, red pepper flakes (if using), salt, and black pepper. Simmer the mixture for 5 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
06 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the drained ziti, beef and marinara mixture, ricotta cheese, and 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella. Mix gently until evenly coated.
07 - Transfer half of the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the remaining mozzarella and half of the Parmesan. Add the remaining pasta mixture, then top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
08 - Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes to heat through.
09 - Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10–15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and lightly golden brown.
10 - Let the baked ziti stand for 10 minutes before serving to set. Garnish with fresh basil or parsley if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Everything happens in one pan and one baking dish, meaning less cleanup and more time with people you actually like
- Those crispy cheesy edges mixed with the tender creamy center create the kind of bite that makes people go silent and close their eyes
02 -
- Undercooking the pasta by two minutes is not a suggestion, it is the mathematical difference between restaurant texture and disappointment, because pasta continues to cook in hot sauce and inside the oven
- Layering the cheese throughout instead of just on top means every single bite has that cheesy pull, and once I learned this trick I could never go back to topping only
03 -
- Room temperature ricotta mixes more smoothly into the pasta, so pull it out of the fridge while you are chopping and prepping, and you will not have any weird clumps of white cheese in your finished dish
- Spraying your foil with cooking spray before covering the baking dish prevents the cheese from sticking and pulling off in unattractive patches when you remove it for the final browning phase