Description
Classic Italian-American “weeknight baked ziti” brings comfort and simplicity to your dinner table. Cheesy pasta layers mingle with savory marinara, creating a hearty meal that welcomes you home with warmth and satisfaction.
Ingredients
Scale
Weeknight Baked Ziti
Main Protein and Pasta:
- 1 pound (450 g) Italian sausage or ground beef
- 12 ounces (340 g) ziti pasta (penne or rigatoni work too)
Cheese and Dairy:
- 1 cup (250 g) ricotta cheese
- 2 cups (200 g) shredded mozzarella cheese (divided)
- 1/2 cup (50 g) grated parmesan cheese
Sauce and Seasonings:
- 3 cups (720 ml) marinara sauce (store-bought or homemade)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Warm the kitchen oven to a precise roasting temperature of 375°F, ensuring an ideal environment for melding flavors and creating a perfectly baked pasta casserole.
- Prepare the rectangular ceramic baking vessel by generously coating its interior with a thin layer of olive oil or utilizing a convenient nonstick culinary spray to prevent potential adhesion.
- Select a generously sized skillet and initiate the ground meat’s transformation, breaking it into delicate, uniform crumbles while cooking until a rich, deep brown develops and no pink remnants remain.
- Introduce aromatic garlic to the sizzling meat, allowing its pungent essence to permeate the protein, then cascade the robust marinara sauce into the pan, stirring methodically to create a harmonious blend.
- Simultaneously bring a capacious pot of salted water to a vigorous boil, gently submerging the ziti pasta and monitoring until it achieves a perfectly al dente consistency, typically requiring 8-10 minutes of careful cooking.
- Drain the pasta thoroughly, then reunite it with the savory meat sauce, ensuring each pasta tube is lavishly coated with the rich, seasoned mixture.
- Layer the pasta-sauce ensemble into the prepared baking dish, creating an even, tempting foundation for the subsequent cheese additions.
- Artfully distribute ricotta cheese across the surface, followed by a generous blanket of shredded mozzarella and a delicate sprinkle of grated parmesan, promising a molten, golden-brown crust.
- Transfer the assembled casserole into the preheated oven, allowing it to bake for approximately 25-30 minutes until the cheese transforms into a bubbling, enticing golden landscape.
- Once achieved, extract the baked ziti and permit a brief resting period of 5-10 minutes, enabling the intense flavors to stabilize and the layers to set before serving.
Notes
- Save time by using pre-made marinara sauce for a quicker weeknight meal.
- Swap ground beef with ground turkey or plant-based crumbles for a healthier protein option.
- Choose whole wheat ziti pasta to boost fiber and nutrition content.
- Cover the dish with foil during initial baking to prevent cheese from over-browning and keep moisture locked in.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 525
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 54 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg