Baked Ziti

Name: Baked Ziti
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: ziti pasta 320 g; ground beef 250 g; onion 120 g; tomato sauce 500 ml; ricotta cheese 200 g; mozzarella cheese 220 g; Parmesan cheese 40 g; olive oil 1.5 tbsp; salt 1 tsp; water, for boiling pasta 3000 ml; salt, for pasta water 1 tbsp

Quick answer

Total time: 55 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients: 11

About this dish

Baked ziti borrows the meat sauce, ricotta, and mozzarella of lasagna but skips the layering: the tube-shaped pasta is simply tossed and spread in the dish, which cuts the work considerably.

Only half the sauce and half the ricotta go into the pasta; the rest sits on top under the cheese, keeping the inside moist. The ziti come out of the water two minutes early because they keep cooking in the oven. Once the mozzarella and Parmesan bubble gold, a 5-minute rest lets portions cut cleanly.

Ingredients

servings

IngredientAmount

water, for boiling pasta

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salt, for pasta water

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Instructions

6 steps

1

Preheat the oven to 190C.

Boil 3 liters of water with 1 tablespoon salt, cook 320g ziti for 2 minutes less than the package states, then drain and toss with 0.5 tbsp olive oil to prevent sticking.
2

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat, cook 120g onion for 4 minutes until translucent, add 250g ground beef and break it apart with a wooden spoon, cooking 7-8 minutes until no pink remains and the meat is evenly browned.
3

Add 500ml tomato sauce and 1 teaspoon salt, then simmer uncovered over low heat for 8 minutes until the sauce thickens and small bubbles gather at the edges, signaling it is ready to turn off the heat.
4

In a large bowl, combine the cooked ziti with half the meat sauce and half of the 200g ricotta, tossing until evenly coated, then spread the mixture in an even layer across the baking dish.
5

Spread the remaining meat sauce evenly over the top, dot the surface with the rest of the ricotta, tear 220g mozzarella into small pieces and scatter to cover the entire surface, then finish with 40g grated Parmesan.
6

Bake uncovered at 190C for 20 minutes until the cheese surface turns into a golden, bubbly crust, then rest 5 minutes to allow the contents to set before slicing and serving.