This top-rated baked ziti recipe options al dente pasta with meat sauce, ricotta cheese, and mozzarella cheese! Scrumptious with a salad and garlic bread. And making baked ziti forward of time is really easy and handy!
Greatest Baked Ziti Recipe
Britt says: ” 
This was so good! A HUGE hit with my household, even my youngest two who’re very delicate eaters. My youngest went again to seconds. Undoubtedly conserving this recipe saved, and planning on making it for our church lunch, I do know it’ll be gone quick.”
What’s Baked Ziti?
Searching for a crowd-pleasing recipe that’s hearty, flavorful, and certain to make you seem like a famous person chef? Baked ziti to the rescue! Aka al dente noodles layered with ricotta cheese, meat sauce, and a trio of Italian cheeses. Like lasagna… with out all of the fussy meeting and layering!
The right recipe for household gatherings, potlucks, or any evening you’re craving Italian-inspired consolation meals. You’ll be able to simply feed 8 folks with one pan of baked ziti. Leftovers? It pairs nice with an Italian chopped salad and a few heat garlic knots or garlic bread!
How do you Make Baked Ziti BETTER?
- Be sure to have al dente pasta, as a result of soggy ziti noodles ought to be a sin.
- Use my flavorful ricotta cheese combination: this secret mix is easy and so delish!
- Say goodbye to boring tomato sauce and howdy to hearty meat sauce! This pasta sauce is additional flavorsome due to floor beef and Italian sausage.
- You can also make this baked ziti recipe upfront and retailer within the fridge or freezer! Or you may make the tomato sauce and ricotta cheese combination the day beforehand and retailer within the fridge to make prep even simpler.
- A household beloved recipe! We’ve been passing this recipe round my household for years… it’s a tried-and true-staple!
- Loads of 5-star critiques. As a result of on the finish of the day, what YOU guys suppose issues most. And tons of of you swear by this traditional recipe.
Don’t Over Cook dinner the Pasta
My largest subject with most baked ziti recipes? The pasta is at all times over baked or under-baked. Burnt noodles are simply as unhealthy as soggy ones. However fortunately, I’ve an answer to this pasta drawback.
Right here’s find out how to cook dinner the pasta completely (al dente) each time:
- Convey a big pot of salted water to a boil. Add salt as soon as the water is at a full rolling boil.
- Add within the pasta and stir. Cook dinner the pasta for precisely 4 minutes… and never a second longer! Severely, set a timer that will help you hold monitor of the time.
- Drain the pasta and run it beneath chilly water to cease it from cooking any extra.
So why do you solely cook dinner the pasta for 4 minutes? A number of rounds of testing – with a wide range of completely different pasta manufacturers – proved this to be the magic quantity!
Why you need Al Dente Noodles
Following the tactic itemizing above, your ziti noodles will nonetheless be onerous when drained. That is regular, so don’t be scared that you simply undercooked them. You need the noodles to be additional al dente in order that they take in the liquid from the tomato sauce and cheeses.
Most recipes will let you know to cook dinner your pasta till al dente, or a minute earlier than al dente, which is 9 to 10 minutes. Don’t observe this recommendation. That is approach lengthy of a cook dinner time and also you’ll find yourself with mushy noodles.
Floor Beef + Italian Sausage Meat Sauce
- This sauce is just a little additional effort however completely price it! You can also make it upfront and retailer it within the fridge for 3 days or freeze it for as much as 2 months!
- Floor beef and Italian sausage promise an additional hearty meat sauce! Use candy Italian sausage or spicy Italian sausage. In the event you use spicy, you might wish to cut back the crushed purple pepper flakes.
- Tomato sauce and tomato pasta make sure the meat sauce is thick and has loads of wealthy tomato taste!
- Kitchen staples like olive oil, salt and pepper, Italian seasoning, sugar, and crushed purple pepper flakes are the spine of this sauce.
- Contemporary basil and contemporary parsley wake the pasta sauce up and provides it a serious pop of freshness.
Let’s get CHEESY…
- Like most baked ziti recipes, this one options ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, and mozzarella cheese.
- However I don’t cease there, I additionally use Fontina cheese, which tastes scrumptious and melts fantastically. In the event you can’t discover it, use an equal quantity of low-moisture mozzarella!
- The ricotta cheese combination contains egg, egg yolk, basil, parsley, parmesan cheese, fontina cheese, salt, and pepper.
- To make sure a good distribution of cheese, you’ll grate a few of it and dice a few of it.
The way to Make Baked Ziti?
Assembling baked ziti is tremendous straightforward and it’s not an actual science, so don’t fear if you happen to mess this up just a little. However right here’s how I love to do it:
- Pour a cup of meat sauce on the underside of a big baking dish. Then add half of the ricotta cheese combination on high, dropping it in random dots everywhere in the backside of the baking dish.
- Pour the al dente pasta on high. Then high with pasta remaining sauce. Dot on the remaining ricotta cheese. Then sprinkle with shredded cheese and at last scatter on the cheese cubes.
How lengthy to Bake Baked Ziti?
- You’ll wish to bake till the cheese is deeply golden and effervescent. This often takes about half-hour, however can differ relying in your oven and baking dish.
- Glass dishes will conduct warmth sooner than thick ceramic dishes. So if you happen to’re utilizing a thick ceramic baking dish, you might want so as to add 10 to fifteen to the bake time.
Need your cheese to look extra golden? You’ll be able to hearth up the broiler and let it sit beneath there for 30 seconds. Simply watch out, it’s straightforward to burn!
Don’t Bake Coated
Don’t bake this baked ziti coated! Overlaying it with aluminum foil will make it unattainable for the cheese to brown. It’ll additionally lure steam contained in the foil, which may trigger soggy noodles! So make sure to bake uncovered.
Make Baked Ziti Forward of Time
- You can also make this recipe 100% forward of time. Merely assemble as directed, then the wrap the baking dish tightly in plastic wrap. Retailer the unbaked ziti within the fridge for as much as 48 hours.
- When it’s time to bake, take away the baked ziti from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for about half-hour. Then take away the plastic wrap (don’t bake coated!) and bake as directed. It’s possible you’ll want so as to add 10 to fifteen minutes onto the bake time because you’re baking it from a relaxing state.
- You can also make the meat sauce as much as 48 hours upfront. Cool it fully and retailer in an hermetic container, within the fridge, till wanted. Alternatively, you may freeze it for as much as 2 months.
Greatest Ever Baked Ziti Recipe
This top-rated baked ziti recipe options al dente pasta with meat sauce, ricotta cheese, and mozzarella cheese! Scrumptious with a salad and garlic bread. And making baked ziti forward of time is really easy and handy!
Components
For the Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons (28ml) olive oil
- 1 massive massive onion finely diced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon purple pepper flakes
- 1 pound 85% lean floor beef
- 1 pound Italian sausage candy or spicy
- 3 Tablespoons (42g) tomato paste
- 1/2 cup (113ml) purple wine (or beef broth)
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 28 ounce cans (56 ounces complete) crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, add extra to style
- 1/4 teaspoon floor black pepper, add extra to style
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup contemporary basil chopped
- 3 Tablespoons contemporary parsley chopped
For the Ricotta Combination:
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese finely grated
- 5 ounces fontina cheese coarsely grated
- 1 massive egg
- 1 massive egg yolk
- 2 Tablespoons parsley finely chopped
- 2 Tablespoons basil finely chopped
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly floor black pepper
For the Baked Ziti:
- 1 pound ziti noodles (or penne)
- 4 ounces low-moisture mozzarella cheese finely shredded
- 4 ounces Fontina cheese minimize into 1/4-inch cubes
- 1 Tablespoon contemporary parsley finely chopped, for serving
Directions
For the Sauce:
-
Heat the oil a big saucepan over medium warmth. Add within the onion and cook dinner till softened, about 6 to eight minutes.
-
Add within the garlic and crushed chili flakes and cook dinner for one more minute, or till aromatic.
-
Add within the beef and sausage and, utilizing a picket spoon, break the meat up into items. Cook dinner till meat is browned and no pink stays, about 5 minutes. Drain out half of the fats, leaving half behind for taste.
-
Stir within the tomato paste. Then add within the wine and stir to mix. Cook dinner for five minutes. Then stir within the Italian seasoning, crushed tomatoes, salt, and pepper, stirring nicely to mix.
-
Convey sauce to a boil, then cut back to medium-low and simmer, stirring often, for 45 minutes.
-
Stir within the sugar, basil, and parsley and cook dinner for one more quarter-hour. Style and add salt and pepper as wanted.
-
Take away from warmth enable to barely cool earlier than utilizing it within the baked ziti. Sauce will be made as much as 3 days upfront and saved within the fridge till wanted.
For the Ricotta Combination:
-
In a big bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, fontina cheese, parsley, basil, egg, egg yolk, salt and pepper. Stir collectively till simply easy. Put aside till wanted.
Assembling and Baking the Baked Ziti:
-
Preheat oven to 375 levels (F). Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and put aside.
-
Convey a big pot of water to a boil. As soon as boiling, add 1 teaspoon of salt, then add within the ziti and cook dinner for precisely 4 minutes. The pasta will nonetheless be very onerous. Drain the pasta and shortly run it beneath chilly water to cease the cooking.
-
Pour the pasta again into a big bowl, then stir in 1 and 1/2 cups of the meat sauce. Put aside.
-
Unfold 1 cup of meat sauce onto the underside of the ready baking dish. Then spoon 1/2 of the ricotta combination on high of the sauce, dropping it in random spoonfuls everywhere in the sauce.
-
Pour the pasta on high of this combination. Then pour the remainder of the sauce over the pasta.
-
Evenly dot the remaining ricotta cheese over the pasta. Sprinkle on the shredded mozzarella and cubed fontina cheeses. At this level you may bake as directed blow, or cowl tightly and refrigerate for as much as 24 hours earlier than baking or freeze for as much as 2 months earlier than baking.
-
Bake for half-hour or till cheese is melted and effervescent. If you need additional crispy/golden cheese, activate the broiler for 30 seconds to 1 minute earlier than eradicating the baked ziti from the oven.
-
Garnish with a sprinkle of contemporary parsley and serve heat!
