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Baked Ziti Recipe
5 from 102 votes

Baked Ziti Recipe

Baked Ziti combines a rich, simmered meat and tomato sauce with a creamy ricotta and cheese mixture, layered with tender cooked ziti pasta and topped with mozzarella and fontina cheeses. The dish bakes into a comforting casserole with a melded, cheesy top and a hearty, savory flavor. Its balanced mix of meats and fresh herbs enhances the sauce complexity, while the cheeses provide a creamy texture throughout.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 30 mins
Total Time
2 hrs
Servings: 1 Pan (9x13)
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

For the Sauce:
  • 2 tablespoons (28ml) olive oil
  • 1 large onion finely diced, large
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 pound ground beef 85% lean
  • 1 pound Italian sausage sweet or spicy
  • 3 Tablespoons (42g) tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup (113ml) red wine or beef broth
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 2 ounce cans (56 ounces total) crushed tomatoes
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt add more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper add more to taste
  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup basil chopped, fresh
  • 3 Tablespoons parsley chopped, fresh
For the Ricotta Mixture:
  • 15 ounces ricotta cheese
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese finely grated
  • 5 ounces fontina cheese coarsely grated
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 2 Tablespoons parsley finely chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons basil finely chopped
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
For the Baked Ziti:
  • 1 pound ziti noodles or penne
  • 4 ounces mozzarella cheese finely shredded, low-moisture
  • 4 ounces fontina cheese cut into 1/4-inch cubes
  • 1 Tablespoon parsley finely chopped, for serving, fresh

Instructions

For the Sauce:
    Cup of Yum
  1. Heat oil a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, 6 to 8 minutes.
  2. Add garlic and crushed chili flakes and cook another minute, until fragrant.
  3. Add beef and sausage and, using a wooden spoon, break the meat into pieces. Cook until meat is browned and no pink remains, about 5 minutes. Drain half the fat, leaving half behind for flavor. 
  4. Stir in tomato paste. Then add the wine and stir to combine. Cook for 5 minutes. Add Italian seasoning, crushed tomatoes, salt, and pepper, stirring well to combine. 
  5. Bring sauce to a boil, then reduce to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes.
  6. Add the sugar, basil, and parsley and cook for another 15 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. 
  7. Remove from heat and slightly cool before using it in the baked ziti. Sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the fridge until needed. 
For the Ricotta Mixture:
  1. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, fontina cheese, parsley, basil, egg, egg yolk, salt and pepper. Stir together until just smooth. Set aside.
Assembling and Baking the Baked Ziti:
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F). Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
  2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add 1 teaspoon of salt, then add in the ziti and cook for exactly 4 minutes. The pasta will still be very hard. Drain the pasta and quickly run it under cold water to stop the cooking.
  3. Pour the pasta back into a large bowl, then stir in 1 and 1/2 cups of the meat sauce. Set aside.
  4. Spread 1 cup of meat sauce onto the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Then spoon 1/2 of the ricotta mixture on top of the sauce, dropping it in random spoonfuls all over the sauce.
  5. Pour the pasta on top of this mixture. Then pour the rest of the sauce over the pasta.
  6. Evenly dot the remaining ricotta cheese over the pasta. Sprinkle on the shredded mozzarella and cubed fontina cheeses. At this point you can bake as directed blow, or cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before baking or freeze for up to 2 months before baking. 
  7. Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbling. If you want extra crispy/golden cheese, turn on the broiler for 30 seconds to 1 minute before removing the baked ziti from the oven. 
  8. Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and serve warm!