Baked Ziti with Ricotta
A layered baked ziti with a rich ground beef sauce, creamy ricotta filling, and a bubbly mozzarella top. Built for feeding a crowd.
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 lb dry ziti pasta
- kosher salt for pasta water
For the Beef Sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 ¾ lb ground beef
- 1 large onion minced
- 1 ¾ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 6 oz can tomato paste
- 2 28 oz cans strained tomatoes or passata
- ¼ tsp baking soda see notes
For the Ricotta Layer
- 15 oz whole milk ricotta
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp dried parsley or 1 tbsp fresh
- 1 cup freshly-grated mozzarella cheese
For Topping
- 2 ½ cups freshly-grated mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook ziti 1 minute shy of al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Heat a large pot over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes to preheat. Add oil and let it heat up to shimmering hot, another 30 to 60 seconds. Add ground beef and break it up a bit, but let it cook undisturbed until browned and caramelized on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Stir and continue browning until deeply colored.
- Add onion, salt, and pepper. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
- Add tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, until it darkens and begins sticking to the bottom of the pot, about 3 to 4 minutes (don't rush this, it adds a lot of flavor and color).
- Pour in both cans of tomatoes and add the baking soda. Bring to a simmer and cook 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened but still loose and saucy. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
- In a bowl, mix ricotta, egg, Parmesan, and 1 cup of the mozzarella until smooth.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked ziti with about three-quarters of the beef sauce. The pasta should look generously coated and slightly saucy.
- Spread a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Add half the pasta mixture, then dollop half the ricotta mixture over the top. Repeat with remaining pasta and ricotta. Spoon remaining sauce over the top.
- Sprinkle the 2 1/2 cups mozzarella evenly over the surface. Cover loosely with foil.
- Bake 30 minutes covered. Remove foil and bake 15 to 20 minutes more, until bubbling and golden at the edges.
- Rest 15 minutes before slicing so the layers set properly. Sprinkle with more parsley before serving.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 779kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 163mg | Sodium: 1090mg | Potassium: 540mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 662IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 458mg | Iron: 3mg