Description
This hearty Baked Ziti is a comforting dish packed with layers of pasta, rich meat sauce, and gooey cheese. Perfect for family dinners or gatherings, it’s sure to please everyone at the table.
Ingredients
Scale
For the meat sauce:
- 1 pound ground beef or turkey
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage
- 1 small diced red pepper
- 1 small diced green pepper
- 1 small diced yellow onion
- 8 minced garlic cloves
- 1 (25-ounce) jar pasta sauce
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons chopped basil
For the ziti:
- 1 box ziti pasta
- 16 ounces ricotta cheese
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons chopped basil
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Cook ziti: Cook ziti pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Make meat sauce: In a large skillet, brown ground beef, ground sausage, onions, peppers, and garlic. Add pasta sauce, crushed tomatoes, heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, basil, and spices. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
- Combine ziti mixture: In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked ziti, ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, and spices. Mix well. Add some meat sauce to the ziti mixture.
- Layer ziti: Spoon a thin layer of meat sauce in a 13×9 baking dish. Add half of the ziti mixture, then a layer of mozzarella cheese. Top with another layer of meat sauce and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Bake: Cover and bake at 350°F for 30-45 minutes. Uncover and broil at the end for a golden cheese top.
- Cool and serve: Let ziti cool for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
- Feel free to adjust the vegetables based on your preference.
- For extra creaminess, you can add more heavy cream to the meat sauce.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: main course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of the dish
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 850mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 70mg