Baked Ziti Recipe
Penne pasta baked with meat sauce & ricotta topped with melted mozzarella
Was this page helpful?
Help improve this recipe for others.
Send this recipe to your inbox.
We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.
Ingredients
Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Pasta
Meat Sauce
Cheese Mixture
Toppings
Method
Preparation
- 1
Preheat the oven
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- 2
Cook the pasta
In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil. Add the penne pasta and cook until al dente, about 8-10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Meat Sauce
- 3
Cook the meat
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Then add the minced garlic and cook for another 1 minute.
- 4
Add the meats
Add the ground beef and Italian sausage to the skillet. Cook until browned, about 8-10 minutes, breaking apart the meat as it cooks.
- 5
Add tomatoes and spices
Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, basil, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Cheese Mixture
- 6
Combine cheese ingredients
In a bowl, combine ricotta cheese, egg, grated Parmesan cheese, salt, black pepper, and chopped parsley. Mix well until combined.
Assembly
- 7
Combine pasta and sauce
In a large bowl, combine the cooked penne pasta with the meat sauce, mixing until the pasta is well coated.
- 8
Layer the ingredients
Spread half of the pasta mixture in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Spread the ricotta cheese mixture over the pasta, then add the remaining pasta mixture on top.
- 9
Add mozzarella
Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the top.
Baking
- 10
Bake the ziti
Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and golden.
- 11
Garnish and serve
Remove from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil before serving.
