This delicious Baked Ziti with ground beef, ricotta and gooey melted cheese is a family favorite and a hit at potlucks. It’s easy to make and tastes even better as leftovers the next day!
Casseroles are my go-to for easy, time-saving dinners. While No Peek Chicken is our top pick, this oven-baked ziti is a close second, making frequent appearances in our meal rotation.
We love adding ground beef, but you can use Italian sausage, both, or go meatless with ricotta and mozzarella. I've tried them all, and my family always cleans their plates!
Leftovers are rare, but they reheat perfectly. Serve with garlic bread and a salad for a complete meal.
For more easy casseroles, try my Swiss Cheese Chicken Casserole or Baked Ravioli-both are dinner wins!
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Ziti Casserole Ingredients
- Pasta: Ziti noodles is what makes the name but you can also substitute for penne.
- Ground Beef: I used 80/20 ground beef but you can also use Italian bulk sausage.
- Pasta Sauce: I used marinara but you can you any kind of pasta sauce you would like.
- Cheeses: Ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
- You will also need: Egg, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
How to Make Baked Ziti
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Season ground beef with Italian seasoning. Brown in a pan over medium heat breaking it up into small crumbles and cooked until no longer pink. Drain and set aside.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until a la dente. Drain and set aside.
In a large bowl add Ricotta cheese, beaten egg, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, ⅛ cup parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, one jar of marinara sauce and mix together. Add in the cooked noodles and ground beef and mix together gently without breaking the noodles.
Spray a 9X13 baking dish with non stick cooking spray and pour the contents of the mixing bowl into the prepared dish.
Pour a second jar of marinara sauce over mixture and top with remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
Bake for 25 minutes uncovered, until cheese is melted and bubbly. Let stand for 5-10 minutes and serve.
How to Reheat Baked Ziti
There are a few ways you can reheat your baked ziti as leftovers the next day:
Microwave: Reheat individual servings in the microwave until warmed.
Oven: To reheat baked ziti in oven, place the entire baking dish in a preheated oven at 350°F and heat until thoroughly warmed.
What to Serve with Baked Ziti
Baked ziti pairs well with breadsticks, caprese salad, grilled zucchini or roasted asparagus.
Recipe
Baked Ziti
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ziti noodles
- 1 lb ground beef browned
- 15 ounces Ricotta cheese
- 2 cups Mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- 2 (23 oz.) jars Marinara sauce
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Season ground beef with Italian seasoning. Brown in a pan over medium heat breaking it up into small crumbles and cooked until no longer pink. Drain and set aside.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until a la dente. Drain and set aside.
- In a large bowl add Ricotta cheese, beaten egg, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, ⅛ cup parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, one jar marinara sauce and mix together. Add in the cooked noodles and ground beef and mix together gently without breaking the noodles.
- Spray a 9X13 baking dish with non stick cooking spray and pour the contents of the mixing bowl into the prepared dish.
- Pour a second jar of marinara sauce over mixture and top with remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 25 minutes uncovered, until cheese is melted and bubbly. Let stand for 5-10 minutes and serve.
Nutrition Disclosure
Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
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