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Baked Ziti with Ground Beef and Ricotta

Baked Ziti with Ground Beef and Ricotta Recipe

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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 580
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb ziti pasta
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 24 oz marinara sauce
  • 15 oz whole-milk ricotta
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Fresh basil leaves, optional

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Boil ziti in salted water until just shy of al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain and toss with a little olive oil.
  2. Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat, 6 to 8 minutes. Add onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook until softened, 4 minutes.
  3. Stir in the marinara sauce and simmer 5 minutes. Taste for salt.
  4. Mix ricotta, egg, ¼ cup Parmesan, a pinch of salt, and pepper until smooth.
  5. Spread ½ cup sauce in a 9x13-inch dish. Layer half the ziti, all the ricotta mixture, and 1 cup mozzarella. Top with remaining sauce, remaining ziti, remaining mozzarella, and remaining ¼ cup Parmesan.
  6. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until golden and bubbly. Rest 10 minutes, top with basil, and serve.

Notes

Resting the baked ziti for a full 10 minutes after it comes out of the oven keeps the slices neat. If you want to make it ahead, assemble the dish and refrigerate it unbaked for up to 24 hours; just add about 10 minutes to the bake time.