Description
A comforting dish of baked ziti with cheese, pasta, and rich marinara sauce, perfect for gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound ziti pasta
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 cups marinara sauce
- 1 pound ground beef or Italian sausage
- Fresh basil (to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Cook the ziti pasta until al dente (about 10-12 minutes), then drain and set aside.
- In a skillet, brown the ground beef or sausage for about 5-7 minutes, draining excess fat.
- Stir in the marinara sauce and simmer with the meat for about 5 minutes.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the drained pasta, ricotta, half of the mozzarella, half of the Parmesan, and fresh basil.
- In a baking dish, layer half of the meat sauce, then half of the pasta mixture. Repeat the layers.
- Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes, then uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes until golden and bubbly.
- Let it rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 70mg