Baked Ziti with Beef & Ricotta (Easier Than Lasagna, Less Mess!)
This baked ziti skips the fussy pre-mixing steps — just layer the ricotta straight in and let the oven do the work. Rich meat sauce, creamy ricotta, bubbly mozzarella, and parmesan in one dish. Ready in under an hour and better than lasagna with half the effort.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 700kcal
Ingredients
- 16 oz dried ziti pasta
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- 1 onion peeled and finely diced
- 3 tsp minced garlic cloves
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 24 oz. tomato sauce
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 ½ cups ricotta cheese
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- ¼ cup finely chopped parsley for garnishing (optional)
Instructions
- Peel and finely dicing the onion as well as the garlic (if using fresh cloves). Cook the dried ziti according to the package directions, then drain and set it aside. If the pasta has fully cooked before the sauce is ready, stir in a drizzle of olive oil to prevent the pasta from sticking together.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over a medium-high heat. Add in the diced onion and cook, stirring for 4 minutes, or until softened. Now add in the garlic and cook, stirring again for 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Add the ground beef, stirring and breaking up the meat with the back of a spoon, cook it until it's no longer pink.
- Add the tomato sauce and Italian seasoning to the skillet. Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°c.
- Add half of the sauce mixture to the cooked ziti pasta and stir until well combined. Then spoon the pasta into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
- Top the pasta with the ricotta cheese and gently smooth the surface with a fork. Top the cheese with the remaining sauce. Continue to sprinkle the mozzarella and parmesan over the sauce.
- Cover the pan loosely with a sheet of foil, then bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, then bake for another 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Garnish the ziti with the chopped parsley and/or basil (if desired), serve, and enjoy!
Notes
Store this pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Reheat using the microwave or oven.
For longer storage, freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating until piping hot.
Nutrition
Calories: 700kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 967mg | Potassium: 891mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1040IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 402mg | Iron: 4mg