Weeknight Baked Ziti
A family-friendly pasta bake that brings both comfort AND flavor.
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I could probably make a pasta bake every night of the week and not get sick of it. My family might like a little more variety, but they’re probably my favorite meal out there. While there are a ton of options — mac and cheese, noodle casserole, tettrazini — this Weeknight Baked Ziti is one of my favorites. Its quick prep time (15 minutes!), pockets of creaminess, and family-friendly flavor keep it on regular rotation in my house.
To start, you want to brown a pound of ground beef or Italian sausage. (I usually use ground beef because it’s what I always have on hand, but it’s totally up to your preference.) Then, you simmer that with your favorite marinara and a bit of Italian seasoning. Sauce, done!
Next, you’ll stir some eggs into your ricotta, along with some shredded parmesan and cubes of mozzarella. The cubes help deliver pockets of cheesiness throughout the pasta.
Then, you’re going to whisk some cornstarch into heavy cream and once that is thickened, stir in a bit of that marinara and the ricotta mixture. The cornstarch helps thicken the cream and gives you a sort of “faux bechamel.” It basically makes the cream more substantial so it doesn’t completely fade into the rest of the sauce.
Mix that creaminess into the pasta…
… and then top it with the rest of the marinara and the rest of the cheese and bake.
It bakes for a good long while, about an hour, but that time is totally hands off. And this isn’t just any baked ziti… this is ziti with a savory meat sauce that’s made even more comforting by some heavy cream and ricotta, and delicious pockets of ooey-gooey mozzarella running throughout.
Weeknight Baked Ziti
Ingredients
- 1 lb dry ziti
- 1 lb lean ground beef or mild Italian sausage
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 4 cups marinara sauce
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 lb ricotta cheese
- 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese, grated and divided
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, chopped into 1/4-inch cubes and divided
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 375°F and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until it's not quite al dente, about 5-6 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet, season and brown the ground beef or sausage over medium-high heat, breaking it apart as it cooks. Drain fat, if needed.
- Stir in Italian seasoning and red pepper flake, followed by marinara sauce. Reduce heat and let simmer for 10 minutes.
- In a large saucepan (or the pan that you cooked the pasta in), whisk together the cornstarch and cream and set over medium heat. Bring to a simmer while constantly stirring, until mixture has thickened. Remove from heat.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta and beaten eggs. Add 1 cup of the Parmesan and 1 cup of the mozzarella and stir to combine.
- Add ricotta and cheese mixture to the thickened cream and stir to combine. Add 1 cup of the marinara and stir to combine once more.
- Add in drained pasta to the ricotta/red sauce mixture, stir to combine, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Transfer to prepared baking dish, then top with remaining red sauce, followed by the remaining mozzarella and parmesan.
- Spray a piece of aluminum foil with nonstick spray, then cover the baking dish.
- Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until cheese is golden brown, about 20 minutes more.
- Let rest about 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Once Upon a Chef.