Cheesy Baked Ziti
About this recipe
Cheesy Baked Ziti is the ultimate comfort food, combining hearty pasta, rich marinara, and a blend of cheeses into a delicious casserole. This version is easy to make and perfect for feeding a crowd, making it a family favorite.
In this video, Nicole McLaughlin from Allrecipes shows you how to whip up a homemade baked ziti that's way better than anything store-bought. With a few simple ingredients and some clever shortcuts, you can create a dish that's both satisfying and full of flavor.
Ingredient notes
- You can substitute ziti pasta with penne or rigatoni if you prefer.
Tips from Allrecipes’s video
- Don't stir the ground sirloin too much while browning to achieve a good sear.
- Cook the ziti until just al dente (about 8 minutes) since it will continue cooking in the oven.
- Avoid rinsing the pasta after draining; instead, toss it with some sauce to prevent sticking.
Good to know
- How many servings does this recipe yield?
- This recipe yields 8 servings.
- What type of cheese is used in the cheesy layer?
- The cheesy layer includes ricotta cheese, an egg, grated parmesan, parsley, basil, and mozzarella.
- What temperature should I bake the ziti at?
- Bake the ziti in a preheated oven at 375°F.
- Can I use pre-shredded mozzarella cheese?
- While you can use pre-shredded mozzarella, the creator suggests using block cheese for better melting.
No life story here — the video and the recipe are the whole point. All credit to Allrecipes: watch the original on YouTube.
The recipe
Ingredients
Steps
- 1
Chop the onion and garlic.
- 2
Heat a large deep skillet or saucepan over medium heat and add the ground sirloin. Brown the meat without stirring too much.
- 3
Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Once boiling, salt the water and add the ziti. Cook until al dente, about 8 minutes.
- 4
Once the meat is browned, add the chopped onion, garlic, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper. Cook for 3-5 minutes until the onion softens.
- 5
Add the marinara sauce to the meat mixture and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
- 6
After draining the pasta, toss it with some of the sauce to prevent sticking.
- 7
In a bowl, mix ricotta cheese, egg, grated parmesan, salt, pepper, parsley, and basil to create the cheesy layer.
- 8
Lightly coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Spread half a cup of sauce on the bottom of the dish.
- 9
Combine 2 cups of the meat sauce with the pasta and layer half of this mixture over the sauce in the baking dish.
- 10
Spoon the ricotta mixture over the pasta layer and spread it out.
- 11
Sprinkle 1 to 1.5 cups of mozzarella cheese over the ricotta layer.
- 12
Add the remaining pasta mixture and top with the rest of the sauce.
- 13
Finish by topping with the remaining mozzarella and a bit more grated parmesan.
- 14
Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F for about 30 minutes, or until bubbly and golden.
- 15
Let it sit for about 10 minutes before serving.
Heads up — we had to guess a little:
- The quantity of mozzarella cheese is inferred as 1 to 1.5 cups based on typical usage in similar recipes.
Credit where it’s due: this recipe was transcribed from Allrecipes’s original video on YouTube. Follow them there — it’s their dish.
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