Beef Taco Seasoning Spiral Pasta Ricotta
Baked Ziti is an easy, saucy, and cheesy pasta casserole. This has all of the great flavors of Lasagna but is simple to prepare and serve as a pasta bake.
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Baked Ziti Recipe Video:
Watch Natasha make this easy baked ziti pasta casserole. This is so easy and delicious. It also reheats so well and you will be excited about leftovers!
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What is Baked Ziti?
Ziti is a tubular-shaped pasta. Baked ziti is an Italian-American casserole of ziti noodles with Marinara Sauce, ricotta, and cheese. The combination of mozzarella and parmesan is our secret to making the BEST Baked Ziti!
We love making baked ziti with meat sauce because it has all of the familiar flavors of classic Lasagna with Meat Sauce, but it comes together fast and is easy to serve as a pasta bake (without the fuss of layering lasagna noodles).
How to Make Baked Ziti:
This is the easiest pasta casserole and the results are so satisfying. It's no wonder Baked Ziti is such a popular dish. Watch the video tutorial above and you will be a pro in no time.
- Cook pasta in salted water until al-dente then drain.
- In a dutch oven, sautee ground beef and onion until cooked through. Add garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Add Marinara Sauce and simmer 5 minutes. Ladle 1/2 cup sauce into a 9×13 casserole dish.
- Spoon in ricotta and basil and stir lightly. Stir in pasta, mixing just until noodles are coated.
- Add half the pasta mixture to the casserole, top with half the mozzarella and parmesan then repeat.
- Bake uncovered at 350˚f for 25 minutes then broil 2 minutes to brown the top.
What Kind of Pasta Can I Use?
The classic pasta choice is ziti pasta. Ziti is a tube-shaped pasta, but you can also substitute with any short tubular shaped pasta, just be sure to cook until al-dente according to package instructions. If you aren't able to find ziti noodles, try these instead:
- Penne
- Rigatoni
- Mostaccioli
P.S. If you are looking for a spaghetti pasta Casserole, try our Chicken Tetrazzini.
Can I Substitute Ground Beef?
You can substitute with a variety of meats to change up your baked ziti. You can even make a vegetarian baked ziti and leave the meat out all together. Any of these options will work great in this pasta casserole:
- Chicken – Baked Ziti is so easy using leftover rotisserie chicken
- Italian Sausage – cook the sausage as you would ground beef
- Ground Turkey – a leaner and tasty option
- Meatballs – sauteed meatballs work great for this casserole
What Vegetables Can I add to Baked Ziti?
Adding veggies is a great way to turn this pasta casserole into a meal in itself. If you're looking to make baked ziti without meat, you can use one or all of these veggies together to make the best Vegetarian Ziti.
- Zucchini – dice and sautee with the onion until tender
- Mushrooms – slice and saute with onion until soft
- Cauliflower – roast cauliflower and add it to the sauce
Can I Make this Pasta Casserole Ahead?
Refrigerate Overnight: You can assemble, cover with foil and refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350˚F, covered with foil for 10 minutes until it comes to room temperature, then remove foil and bake as directed in the recipe.
To Freeze: Tightly cover and freeze unbaked casserole up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then bake at 350˚F covered in foil for 10 minutes to bring it to temperature. Uncover and finish baking as directed in the recipe.
More Casserole Recipes:
We love casseroles for dinner because they can be made ahead and reheat really well so you get to enjoy leftovers for days. These are the top-rated casserole recipes on our blog. I hope you find many new favorites here.
- Chicken Parmesan – baked and smothered in sauce and cheese
- Chicken Lasagna – with a creamy white sauce
- Chicken Mushroom Bake – a party favorite
- Lasagna Roll-Ups – the easiest way to serve lasagna
- Eggplant Parmesan – a vegetarian spin on a classic
- Sweet Potato Casserole – a timeless side dish
Baked Ziti (Easy Pasta Casserole) VIDEO
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 27 minutes
Total Time: 57 minutes
Baked Ziti is an easy, saucy, and cheesy pasta casserole. It has all of the great flavors of Lasagna but is simple to prepare and serve as a pasta bake.
- 1 lb ziti pasta, or penne pasta
- 1 lb ground beef, 85% lean
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 5 cups marinara sauce
- 15 oz fresh ricotta
- 10 fresh basil leaves
- 12 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
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Cook pasta in salted water according to package instructions until just aldente them drain (so not overcook since they will continue to cook in the oven).
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In a deep pan or dutch oven, over medium-high heat, cook ground beef and onion, breaking up the beef with a spatula, until beef is fully cooked through and onions are softened (5-7 minutes). Add minced garlic, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and sautee another minute. Add 5 cups marinara, bring to a simmer and continue cooking 5 minutes then turn off the heat.
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Spread a ladle of meat sauce over the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish.
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Into the remaining sauce, add chopped basil and spoon in ricotta. Add cooked pasta and stir just until noodles are coated (you want to keep that ricotta texture)
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Transfer half of the pasta to the casserole dish. Top with 1/2 of shredded mozzarella and 1/2 grated parmesan. Add remaining pasta and top with remaining mozzarella and parmesan.
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Clear the edges of the pan so the cheese doesn't burn onto the dish. Bake at 350˚F for 25 minutes. Broil 1-2 minutes to brown the cheese. Let cool 5 minutes then garnish with basil if desired and serve.
Nutrition Facts
Baked Ziti (Easy Pasta Casserole) VIDEO
Amount Per Serving
Calories 469 Calories from Fat 153
% Daily Value*
Fat 17g 26%
Saturated Fat 10g 63%
Cholesterol 80mg 27%
Sodium 1307mg 57%
Potassium 765mg 22%
Carbohydrates 44g 15%
Fiber 4g 17%
Sugar 7g 8%
Protein 34g 68%
Vitamin A 991IU 20%
Vitamin C 10mg 12%
Calcium 498mg 50%
Iron 3mg 17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
If you make this recipe, I'd love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Natasha Kravchuk
Source: https://natashaskitchen.com/baked-ziti/
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