Description
Ina Garten’s baked ziti combines creamy ricotta, robust tomato sauce, and melted mozzarella in a comforting Italian-American casserole. Cheese lovers and pasta enthusiasts will savor this hearty dish that brings warmth to family dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (454 g) lean ground beef
- 1 lb (454 g) dry ziti pasta
- 2 (26 oz / 737 g) jars spaghetti sauce
- 1 lb (454 g) ricotta cheese
- 6 oz (170 g) mozzarella cheese, sliced or shredded
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsps grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 onion, chopped
- Dried oregano or basil (optional)
Instructions
- Pasta Preparation: Boil salted water and cook ziti until al dente, approximately 8 minutes. Drain thoroughly in a colander.
- Meat Sauce Creation: In a skillet, brown ground beef with onions over medium-high heat. Add spaghetti sauce and simmer for 15 minutes, allowing flavors to intensify and meld together.
- Cheese Mixture: Whisk ricotta cheese with egg until smooth and creamy, creating a uniform texture that will bind the dish’s layers.
- Assembly Technique: Spread a thin layer of meat sauce in a baking dish. Fold cooked ziti into ricotta mixture, then layer in the dish. Generously sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan cheese between layers. Garnish with dried oregano or fresh basil for enhanced aromatic depth.
- Final Topping: Arrange fresh mozzarella slices across the casserole surface for a visually appealing and flavorful finish.
- Baking Process: Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake ziti for 30 minutes until cheese turns golden and bubbly. Allow the dish to rest 5-10 minutes after removing from oven, enabling layers to stabilize and flavors to settle.
Notes
- Pasta Perfection: Cook ziti just until al dente to prevent mushy texture and maintain a firm bite.
- Flavor Layering: Simmer meat sauce longer to develop deeper, richer taste and allow ingredients to meld together completely.
- Cheese Binding: Mix ricotta with egg to create a creamy, smooth consistency that helps bind the pasta layers.
- Resting Secret: Allow the baked ziti to rest 5-10 minutes after cooking to set layers and make serving easier without falling apart.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 600
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 900 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 70 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg