Description
This Baked Ziti recipe is a comforting and delicious Italian-American classic that’s perfect for feeding a crowd. With layers of pasta, rich meat sauce, and plenty of cheese, this hearty casserole is sure to be a hit at any gathering.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Ingredients:
- 1 (1-lb.) pkg. ziti
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 1 lb. 90/10 lean ground beef
- 1 small (7 oz.) yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
- 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 Tbsp.)
- 1 (28-oz.) can whole peeled plum tomatoes, crushed by hand
- 1 (24-oz.) jar marinara sauce
- 1 (15-oz.) container whole-milk ricotta cheese
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
- 12 oz. pre-shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese (about 3 cups), divided
- 3 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (about 3/4 cup) and divided
- Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- Cook ziti: Preheat oven to 375°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high. Add ziti, and cook, stirring occasionally, according to package directions for al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain ziti in a colander, and toss with 1 tablespoon of the oil.
- Cook ground beef: While ziti cooks, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Break ground beef into medium-sized clumps, and add to Dutch oven. Cook, stirring once halfway through cook time, until deeply browned on 2 sides, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Break up ground beef into smaller pieces: Cook, stirring and breaking up meat into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon, until cooked through and no longer pink, about 2 minutes.
- Add garlic and onion: Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes.
- Make ragu: Stir in plum tomatoes and marinara sauce. Bring to a simmer over medium. Cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside 3 cups of the ragu.
- Add cheeses, cream, and seasoning to ragu: Add ricotta, cream, salt, crushed red pepper, 2 cups of the mozzarella, and 1/2 cup of the Parmigiano-Reggiano to remaining ragu in Dutch oven, and stir to combine. Add cooked ziti, and stir until thoroughly combined.
- Assemble casserole: To assemble, spread 1 cup of the reserved ragu in the bottom of a 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Spoon half of the ziti mixture over ragu. Spoon 1 cup of the reserved ragu over ziti mixture. Spoon remaining ziti mixture over ragu. Spread remaining 1 cup reserved ragu over ziti mixture, and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano.
- Bake: Bake, uncovered, in preheated oven until cheese is melted and browned in spots, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 620
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 1040mg
- Fat: 32g
- Saturated Fat: 16g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 46g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 38g
- Cholesterol: 100mg
