Easy Baked Ziti with Ricotta
This classic Easy Baked Ziti with Ricotta is creamy, hearty, and loaded with mozzarella, ground beef, and a savory red sauce. A comforting dish that's simple enough for weeknights!
Equipment
- 1 Baking dish 9x13 inches
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 16 ounces ziti pasta tube-shaped pasta
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 tablespoon butter for sautéing
- 0.5 onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 26 ounces spaghetti sauce your favorite jar
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 egg large
- 1-2 teaspoons sugar
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F and spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick spray.
- Boil ziti pasta in salted water until almost al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Brown ground beef over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Drain fat and set meat aside.
- In same skillet, melt butter; sauté onion for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute.
- Stir in spaghetti sauce, onion powder, salt, and Italian seasoning. Simmer on low heat.
- In a small bowl, whisk ricotta cheese with egg, sugar, salt, and half the Parmesan cheese.
- Mix ground beef and drained pasta into the simmered sauce; stir well.
- Layer half pasta mixture in dish, top with dollops of ricotta mix, and sprinkle mozzarella cheese.
- Add remaining pasta, then more mozzarella and Parmesan on top. Cover with foil.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until bubbly. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Adding sugar in ricotta balances savory flavors. Use crushed red pepper for spice and sausage sauce for more flavor.