This top-rated baked ziti recipe options al dente pasta with meat sauce, ricotta cheese, and mozzarella cheese. Heaven in a baking dish and ideal for serving a crowd! Scrumptious with a salad and garlic bread.
What’s Baked Ziti?
On the lookout for a crowd-pleasing recipe that’s hearty, flavorful, and makes you appear to be a celebrity 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 proper recipe for household gatherings or any evening you’re craving Italian-inspired consolation meals. You may simply feed 8 individuals with one pan of baked ziti. Leftovers? It pairs nice with an Italian chopped salad and a few heat garlic knots or garlic bread!
Find out how to Make Baked Ziti… BETTER?
We’ve been passing this recipe round my household for years… it’s a tried-and true-staple! And loads of 5-star opinions promise you’ll like it, too! As a result of on the finish of the day, what YOU suppose issues most. Right here’s what makes this higher than the remainder:
- Al dente pasta… as a result of soggy ziti noodles is a sin.
- My flavorful ricotta cheese combination: this secret mix is clean and so delish!
- Goodbye boring tomato sauce, whats up hearty meat sauce! The tomato sauce is additional flavorsome due to floor beef and Italian sausage.
- Make this baked ziti recipe prematurely and retailer within the fridge or freezer! Or make the tomato sauce and ricotta cheese combination the day beforehand and retailer within the fridge.
Al Dente Noodles
- Carry a big pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook dinner for precisely 4 minutes and never a second longer – set a timer to maintain observe of time.
- Drain pasta and run it underneath chilly water to cease it from cooking. Then use as directed!
Your ziti noodles will nonetheless be onerous when drained. Additional al dente noodles are greatest in order that they take up the liquid from the tomato sauce.
Floor Beef + Italian Sausage Meat Sauce
- This sauce is a little bit additional effort, however you may make it prematurely. Retailer within the fridge for 3 days or freeze for two months!
- Floor beef and Italian sausage make additional hearty meat sauce! Candy Italian sausage or spicy Italian sausage work.
- Tomato sauce and tomato paste make sure the meat sauce is thick and has loads of wealthy tomato taste!
- Recent basil and contemporary parsley wake add a pop of freshness to the pasta sauce.
Ricotta Cheese Combination
- Like most baked ziti recipes, this one options ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, and mozzarella cheese.
- I additionally use Fontina cheese, which tastes scrumptious and melts fantastically. In case 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.
How Do You Make Baked Ziti?
- Pour a cup of meat sauce on the underside of a baking dish. Add half the ricotta cheese combination, dropping it in dots over the underside of the baking dish.
- Pour pasta on prime, then prime with remaining tomato sauce. Dot the remaining ricotta cheese, then sprinkle with shredded cheese combination and the cheese cubes.
- Place baking dish within the oven and bake till cheese combination is effervescent and golden brown.
How lengthy to Bake Baked Ziti with Ricotta?
- Bake till the cheese is golden and effervescent. Time varies relying in your oven and baking dish.
- Glass dishes conduct warmth sooner than ceramic dishes. In case you use a thick ceramic baking dish, you’ll doubtless add 10 to fifteen minutes.
- Don’t bake lined, overlaying it with aluminum foil makes it not possible for the cheese to brown. It’ll additionally traps steam, which might trigger soggy noodles! So you should definitely bake uncovered.
Make Baked Ziti Forward of Time
- Assemble as directed, then the wrap the baking dish tightly in plastic wrap. Retailer within the fridge for as much as 48 hours.
- Time to bake? Take away from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for not less than 20 minutes.
- Take away plastic wrap (don’t bake lined!) and bake as directed. You would possibly add 10 to fifteen minutes onto bake time because you’re baking it from a calming state.
Baked Ziti Recipe
This top-rated baked ziti recipe options al dente pasta with meat sauce, ricotta cheese, and mozzarella cheese. Heaven in a baking dish and ideal for serving a crowd! Scrumptious with a salad and garlic bread.
Substances
For the Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons (28ml) olive oil
- 1 giant giant 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 giant egg
- 1 giant 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 lower into 1/4-inch cubes
- 1 Tablespoon contemporary parsley finely chopped, for serving
Directions
For the Sauce:
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Warmth oil a big saucepan over medium warmth. Add onion and cook dinner till softened, 6 to eight minutes.
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Add garlic and crushed chili flakes and cook dinner one other minute, till aromatic.
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Add beef and sausage and, utilizing a wood spoon, break the meat into items. Prepare dinner till meat is browned and no pink stays, about 5 minutes. Drain half the fats, leaving half behind for taste.
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Stir in tomato paste. Then add the wine and stir to mix. Prepare dinner for five minutes. Add Italian seasoning, crushed tomatoes, salt, and pepper, stirring properly to mix.
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Carry sauce to a boil, then cut back to medium-low and simmer, stirring sometimes, for 45 minutes.
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Add the sugar, basil, and parsley and cook dinner for an additional quarter-hour. Style and add salt and pepper as wanted.
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Take away from warmth and barely cool earlier than utilizing it within the baked ziti. Sauce might be made as much as 3 days prematurely and saved within the fridge till wanted.
For the Ricotta Combination:
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In a big bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, fontina cheese, parsley, basil, egg, egg yolk, salt and pepper. Stir collectively till simply clean. Put aside.
Assembling and Baking the Baked Ziti:
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Preheat oven to 375 levels (F). Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and put aside.
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Carry 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 rapidly run it underneath chilly water to cease the cooking.
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Pour the pasta again into a big bowl, then stir in 1 and 1/2 cups of the meat sauce. Put aside.
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Unfold 1 cup of meat sauce onto the underside of the ready baking dish. Then spoon 1/2 of the ricotta combination on prime of the sauce, dropping it in random spoonfuls all around the sauce.
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Pour the pasta on prime of this combination. Then pour the remainder of the sauce over the pasta.
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Evenly dot the remaining ricotta cheese over the pasta. Sprinkle on the shredded mozzarella and cubed fontina cheeses. At this level you possibly can 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.
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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.
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Garnish with a sprinkle of contemporary parsley and serve heat!
