Baked Ziti with Ground Beef and Ricotta

Cheesy, saucy baked ziti with ground beef and ricotta! Easy 15-minute prep, family-friendly, freezer-friendly and great for gatherings.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Skill Level Easy

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1 5

Servings

Calories 573kcal

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Prepare pasta. Cook ziti al denté, according to the packet directions. Drain and set aside.
Make meat sauce. Heat oil in a large skillet, over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant.
Add ground beef to the skillet and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until browned.
Add tomato sauce and Italian seasoning. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer on a low-medium for 5 minutes.
Assemble casserole. Add half the cooked pasta to a greased 9 x 13 baking dish. Layer with half the meat sauce.
Spoon ricotta cheese on top and spread with a spoon. Add another layer of pasta then meat mixture.
Sprinkle an even layer of shredded mozzarella and Parmesan on top.
Bake. Cover with a sheet of foil, and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil, and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden.
Remove from the oven, garnish with parsley and serve.

Make sure to cover ziti loosely so cheesy does not stick but sealed on the edges with a sheet of foil. This prevents the pasta from drying out while baking. Remove foil for the last 5 minutes of baking time to allow the cheese to turn golden in color. You can spray the foil with cooking spray to ensure the cheese does not stick to it.
Be sure to cook pasta al denté, as it will continue cooking in the oven and you want the pasta to absorb some of the sauce when baking.
Be sure pasta is well coated with sauce before baking.
If you like your baked ziti extra saucy (more lasagna-style), you might want closer to 32 oz of sauce.