Cheesy Baked Ziti
Cheesy Baked Ziti is a simple and delicious dinner recipe that the whole family loves. This hearty pasta dish makes a ton of food and isn’t difficult to make.
My family loves baked pasta recipes like this one and we always have enough leftovers to have for dinner again the next night.
This baked pasta is made with seasoned ground beef, pasta sauce, Ziti, ricotta cheese, and shredded mozzarella cheese.
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If you love cheesy baked pasta, check out my Homemade Lasagna recipe! This recipe makes one lasagna for dinner and one to put away in the freezer for a meal at another time.
Another family favorite dinner that has similar flavors is my Cheesy Stuffed Shell recipe!
Ingredients
- Ziti pasta
- Ground beef
- Chopped onion
- Salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, parsley
- Minced garlic
- Marinara
- Ricotta cheese
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Parmesan cheese
Make Cheesy Baked Ziti
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
Heat a pot of water over high heat and boil 16 oz of ziti pasta following the directions on the package.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 lb of ground beef and a chopped onion.
My family prefers ground beef, but you could swap out the ground beef for some Italian sausage instead.
Season the meat with salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes.
Once the ground beef is fully cooked, drain any extra grease and add 1 tbsp of minced garlic. Stir well. Add 2 jars of your favorite marinara or pasta sauce.
Stir the meat sauce and let it simmer on low.
Pour half of the cooked pasta into a greased 9×13 baking dish.
Add half of the meat/sauce mixture to the baking dish and stir the pasta around just to get them all covered in sauce.
Next, use a large spoon to drop 15 oz of ricotta cheese all over the first layer of the pasta.
When testing this recipe, I used a small cookie scoop to make this step even easier!
Top the ricotta cheese with half of the shredded mozzarella.
Add the rest of the pasta, meat sauce mixture, and the rest of the shredded mozzarella cheese.
Bake in the oven at 375 degrees F for about 25 minutes uncovered.
If you like crispy edges on your pasta you can broil this for a minute or two, but be sure to keep a close eye on it to avoid accidentally burning the dish.
Serve Cheesy Baked Ziti
Once the cheese is golden brown and bubbling, it’s time to eat! Top with dried parsley and some Parmesan cheese.
Cheesy Baked Ziti is so good served with a Caesar salad and some bread sticks.
The leftovers of this recipe reheat well in the oven or microwave. This meal makes enough that my family usually has the leftovers for dinner the next night with a different easy vegetable as a side.
You will love this recipe because it’s comforting, crowd pleasing, and makes a lot of food.
Tips and Frequently Asked Questions
- I used 16 oz of Ziti, but penne or rigatoni could be used in this recipe instead.
- I like to shred mozzarella cheese from a block for a creamier consistency.
- My family prefers ground beef, but you could use 1 lb of Italian sausage instead of the beef.
- Leftovers of this recipe reheat well in the oven and this is usually a two night meal for my family!
- If you are looking for a quicker version of this recipe that has similar flavors check out my Lazy Lasagna Skillet Meal.
Similar Recipes
- Cheesy Baked Rigatoni
- Homemade Lasagna
- Cheesy Stuffed Shells
- Lazy Lasagna Skillet Meal
- Easy Chicken Cutlets
- Easy Alfredo Chicken Tortellini
Ingredients
- 16 oz ziti pasta
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 chopped onion
- 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
- 1 tsp each garlic powder, paprika, Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 (24 oz) jars marinara
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
- Dried parsley
- Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Heat a pot of water over high heat and boil 16 oz of ziti pasta following the directions on the package.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 lb of ground beef and a chopped onion. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes.
- Once the ground beef is fully cooked, drain any extra grease and add 1 tbsp of minced garlic. Stir well. Add 2 jars of marinara sauce. Stir and let simmer on low.
- Pour half of the cooked pasta in a greased 9×13 baking dish. Add half of the meat/sauce mixture to the baking dish and stir the pasta around just to get them all covered in sauce.
- Next, use a large spoon to drop 15 oz of ricotta cheese all over the first layer of the pasta.
- Top the ricotta cheese with half of the shredded mozzarella. Add the rest of the pasta, meat/sauce mixture, and the rest of the shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Bake in the oven at 375 degrees F for about 25 minutes uncovered. Once the cheese is golden brown and bubbling, it’s time to eat! Top with dried parsley and some Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!