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–+ servings

30 Minute Baked Ziti for Busy Weeknights

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Enjoy this cheesy baked ziti, a hearty family pasta dinner. Loaded with beef and sausage, it’s an easy pasta bake recipe everyone loves.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 1
Course: Dinner, Side Dish
Cuisine: American, Italian
Calories: 503
Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound ground meat (beef or turkey)
  • 1 pound ground Italian sausage (I like to mix sweet and hot)
  • 1 small red pepper finely diced
  • 1 small green pepper finely diced
  • 1 small yellow onion finely diced
  • 8 garlic cloves minced
For the Sauce
  • 1 28oz can of crushed tomatoes
  • 1 25oz jar of pasta sauce any brand we will do! We will hook it up!
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons basil chopped
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
For the Ziti Bake
  • 1 (16 ounce) box ziti pasta
  • 16 ounces ricotta cheese
  • 2 tablespoons chopped basil
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoons black pepper
Cheese
  • 3 cups mozzarella cheese shredded and divided

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Cook ziti until al dente according to package instructions, then drain and set aside.
  3. Brown Italian sausage and ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat, then add peppers, onions, and garlic and cook until softened.
  4. Stir in crushed tomatoes, pasta sauce, Parmesan, heavy cream, and seasonings; simmer for 10 to 15 minutes and adjust salt to taste.
  5. Combine cooked ziti, ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, and seasonings in a large bowl, then stir in several spoonfuls of meat sauce until creamy, reserving the rest for layering.
  6. Spread a layer of meat sauce across the bottom of a 13x9-inch baking dish.
  7. Layer half of the ziti mixture over the sauce, spread evenly, and top with a thin layer of cheese.
  8. Top with remaining meat sauce and ziti mixture, sprinkle with mozzarella, and bake covered at 350°F for 30 to 45 minutes, then broil uncovered until golden while watching carefully to avoid burning.
  9. Remove from oven and allow the dish to cool for several minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 503kcal

Notes

Pasta Texture: I always pull my ziti out of the boiling water about two minutes before it reaches al dente because it finishes cooking in the oven while absorbing all those savory juices.