Spoon Simple
Baked Ziti
The ultimate crowd-pleasing baked ziti — layers of pasta, ricotta, meat sauce, and melted mozzarella. Make it ahead and bake when ready. Perfect for feeding a crowd.
Prep 20 min
Cook 40 min
Total 1h
Serves 8
Ingredients
Step 1 — Cook pasta
- 1 lb ziti pasta
- Salted water (for boiling)
Step 2 — Make the meat sauce
- 1 lb ground beef or Italian sausage
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
- 3 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
Step 3 — Make ricotta layer
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- ½ cup Parmesan (grated)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper
Step 4 — Assemble and bake
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- 1
Cook pasta
Cook ziti 2 minutes less than package directions (it finishes in the oven). Drain and set aside.
- 2
Make the meat sauce
Brown ground beef or sausage in a large skillet. Drain fat. Add garlic, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Simmer 10 minutes.
- 3
Make ricotta layer
Mix ricotta, egg, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
- 4
Assemble and bake
Preheat oven to 375°F. Spread 1 cup meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Layer half the pasta, half the ricotta mixture, half the meat sauce, and 1 cup mozzarella. Repeat. Top with remaining mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 10-15 minutes until golden and bubbly.
Nutrition per serving: 560 cal · 34g protein · 58g carbs · 22g fat · 4g fiber
For informational purposes only. Not medical or dietary advice. Verify ingredients for allergens, cooking times, and safe internal temperatures before serving.
