Baked Ziti. Baked Ziti is a classic Italian American comfort food of pasta baked with sausage, tomato sauce Do you like lasagna, but not the fuss? It's a lot like a classic lasagna casserole. Baked Ziti is so much more than just a Bolognese pasta bake….

It has all of the great flavors of lasagna but is much easier to make as a pasta bake with ziti or. Baked ziti resembles a baked pasta from Northern Italy, but it's actually original to the Naples area. The meat sauce along with the cheese makes for a hearty dish that is perfect for colder weather. You can have Baked Ziti using 12 ingredients and 9 steps. Here is how you achieve it.

Ingredients of Baked Ziti

Prepare 2 lbs of penne pasta.
You need 1 1/2 lbs of ground beef.
It's 24 oz of tomato sauce.
You need 4 1/2 cups of ricotta cheese.
Prepare 4 cups of mozzarella cheese (shredded).
Prepare 1 cup of parmesan cheese.
You need 2 of eggs.
It's 4 tbsp of parsley.
Prepare 1 tbsp of salt.
Prepare 1 tsp of black pepper.
It's 1 tsp of oregano.
You need 1/4 cup of halved pepperoni slices (optional).

Layered PAM sprayed Pyrex baking dishes like so. This Baked Ziti is a classic Italian-American comfort food! It's easy to make, perfect for a weeknight meal or a special occasion. Tender pieces of ziti noodles, delicious meat sauce.

Baked Ziti step by step

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Boil water. Add some salt (about 1 tbsp) to flavor the pasta as it cooks. Once it boils, add pasta and cook for 15 minutes. Once pasta is done cooking, mix in a bit of sauce to keep it from sticking..
Heat a pan at medium heat, add the beef and some water (maybe 2 cups or so). Brown the chopped meat. This will take about 10 minutes - you’ll know it’s done when the juice is clear..
Then drain it. Once the meat cools a bit, break it up into small pieces if it isn’t already..
Get a large foil roast pan and coat the bottom with about 1/4 cup of sauce..
In a large bowl, mix together the meat and all ingredients, except the cooked pasta. Leave a little bit of sauce to the side to drizzle over the top later..
After the meat, cheeses, eggs, and seasonings are mixed well, add the pasta and mix well again..
Put the ziti in the baking pan. Sprinkle some extra mozzarella and parmesan cheese (maybe 2 handfuls of each) over the top layer. Then drizzle the last of the sauce over top..
Cover the pan with foil and cook in the oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Then, take off the foil and cook for another 20 minutes or so..

Baked Ziti is a classic baked pasta dish. It's basically some kind of tomato or meat sauce baked in a dish with some kind of cheese and, of course, ziti noodles—unless you're me. This easy baked ziti recipe is made with homemade marinara sauce, creamy ricotta, basil, and lots of mozzarella cheese! I turn to this easy baked ziti recipe anytime I'm serving a crowd. This is seriously the Best Baked Ziti Ever.