Baked Ziti Recipe
Baked Ziti with meaty homemade tomato sauce, rich ricotta, and a melty 3-cheese blend is a dish the whole family will love.
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound loose Italian sausage
- 1 pound 80/20 ground beef
- 1 peeled and small diced yellow onion, about 1 cup
- 4 finely minced garlic cloves
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 2 28- ounce cans of San Marzano tomatoes, hand crushed
- 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar
- 1 sprig with 5 to 6 basil leaves + 3 tablespoons minced + more for garnish
- 1 pound whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 pound ziti pasta
- ½ pound fontina cheese, shredded or cut into ½ inch cubes
- ½ pound shredded provolone cheese, shredded or cut into ½ inch cubes
- ¾ cup grated parmigiano Reggiano
- coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a large rondeau pot, or Dutch oven-style pot, add three tablespoons of olive oil and heat over high medium heat for 60 to 90 seconds. Then add the sausage and beef and press down to spread it around the pan to cover more surface area with a spoon. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes without stirring, and then break everything up using a spoon and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, or until just done. Season with salt and pepper and set it aside.
- In the same pan, add one tablespoon of olive oil. Then, add the onions, gently season with salt, and sauté for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn the heat down to low and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until well browned. Mix in the garlic and cook for 30 to 45 seconds.
- Deglaze with the white wine and cook over medium heat until only a few tablespoons remain. Add in the tomatoes, along with the sprig of fresh basil leaves, season with salt and pepper, and stir. Return the cooked meat mixture to the pan. Finish with the balsamic vinegar. Cook over low to medium heat for 30 minutes.
- While this cooks, add the three tablespoons of minced basil to a bowl along with the ricotta cheese, the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil, salt, and pepper, and whisk until it is smooth. This takes about 1 to 2 minutes. Set it to the side.
- When the tomato-meat sauce has about 5 to 7 minutes left in the cooking process, add the ziti pasta to a large pot of boiling salted water and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, which would be right up to the stage before al dente.
- Drain the pasta and put it in a large bowl along with 2/3 of the cut-up fontina, provolone, and 2/3 of the sauce, and mix to combine.
- With the remaining sauce, add about ¾ cup of it to the bottom of a 13x9 or like-size casserole dish, then add in half of the tossed pasta and gently press down to flatten.
- Then evenly add and gently spread the ricotta-basil mixture to cover the pasta along with ¼ cup of grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
- Next, top off with the remaining pasta and gently press down to flatten out. Evenly add on another ¾ cup of the sauce, followed by evenly sprinkling on the remaining fontina, provolone, and Parmigiano Reggiano.
- Add it to a sheet tray and bake on a middle rack at 375°F for 30 to 35 minutes or until the cheese is melted and browned on top.
- Remove from the oven and serve with the remaining sauce.
Notes
Since the pasta finishes cooking in the oven, the best baked ziti starts with noodles cooked just shy of al dente (think bendy, with a slightly firm bite). This simple step is the secret to perfectly baked, never-mushy pasta.
Save time with jarred sauce: A high-quality, store-bought marinara sauce will still give you a delicious dish if you don’t have the time to make your own. Look for a brand that doesn’t taste sweet and uses simple ingredients (usually just olive oil, garlic, and whole tomatoes).
Use freshly grated cheese: Pre-shredded cheese often contains anti-caking agents that prevent a smooth melt. This is why I highly recommend grating your fontina, provolone, and parmesan right from the block.
If the pasta is browning too fast, loosely tent the baking dish with foil to slow the browning while allowing the pasta to finish heating through.
Make it meatless: For meatless ziti, omit the meat from the recipe or replace it with plant-based alternatives or a mix of sautéed mushrooms and spinach.
Make-Ahead: The ziti can be baked a few hours ahead of time and kept covered until it’s time to serve. Assemble up to 1 day before serving and store covered in the fridge until ready to bake.
How to Store: Once the leftovers are cool, cover the dish with foil. Refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for 3 months.
How to Reheat: Reheat individual servings in the microwave. You can also reheat the whole dish in the oven at 350°F, covered with foil, until heated through.
Nutrition
Calories: 925kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 45gFat: 59gSaturated Fat: 26gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 25gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 152mgSodium: 1103mgPotassium: 709mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 854IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 598mgIron: 4mg