Description
A comforting baked ziti dish with creamy ricotta, melty mozzarella, and hearty marinara, perfect for family dinners and gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound ziti pasta
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 cups marinara sauce
- 1 pound ground beef or Italian sausage
- Fresh basil (to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Cook ziti pasta in salted boiling water until al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- In a skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef or sausage for 5-7 minutes, then drain excess fat.
- Stir in marinara sauce with the meat mixture and let simmer for 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, mix the drained pasta with ricotta cheese, half of the mozzarella, half of the Parmesan, and fresh basil.
- In a baking dish, layer half of the meat sauce, followed by half of the pasta mixture. Repeat layers.
- Top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes, then uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes until bubbly.
Notes
For a crispy top, remove the foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
Keywords: baked ziti, pasta, Italian recipe, comfort food, family dinner