Baked Ziti with Ground Beef and Ricotta
A red-sauce pasta bake with ricotta in pockets instead of layers, built for a 9x13 and a hungry table.
- Serves
- 6
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Written
Method
-
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the ziti about 2 minutes short of the package’s al dente time, then drain and set aside.
-
Heat a large pot over medium-high and brown the ground beef, breaking it into small pieces, until no pink remains, then drain off excess fat.
-
Add the onion and cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.
-
Stir in the garlic and oregano and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
-
Add the crushed tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and simmer until visibly thickened, about 15 minutes.
-
Stir the basil and drained ziti into the sauce until every piece is coated.
-
Spread half the pasta in a 9x13-inch baking dish, dollop with half the ricotta in spoonfuls, and scatter with a third of the mozzarella.
-
Layer in the remaining pasta and the rest of the ricotta, then top with the remaining mozzarella and the Parmesan.
-
Cover with foil and bake at 375°F for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake until the cheese is browned in spots and the sauce bubbles at the edges, about 15 minutes more.
-
Rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
The ricotta goes in as spoonfuls, not folded through — you want pockets of it turning up unevenly, not a uniform pink pasta. That’s the difference between this and a lasagna: no flat layers to keep straight, just toss and dollop.
No ground beef on hand, or want it meatless: sub in Italian sausage for more fat and spice, or skip the meat entirely and use an extra can of crushed tomatoes to keep the sauce from running thin. Garlic bread is not optional.