Go Back
Golden baked ziti with bubbling mozzarella in a 9x13 dish, served family style

Easy Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce and Creamy Ricotta

Baked ziti with a thick beef sauce, a creamy ricotta layer, and a golden mozzarella top. It slices into clean squares and reheats well.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Resting Time 10 minutes
Servings: 8 About 1 1/2 cups
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Calories: 660
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Meat Sauce
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound ground beef 90% lean
  • 1 medium yellow onion finely diced
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 can 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
  • 1 can 15 ounces tomato sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
For the Pasta
  • 1 pound ziti
  • 2 tablespoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt for the cooking water
For the Ricotta Layer
  • 15 ounces whole milk ricotta
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For the Top
  • 3 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella about 12 ounces
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
  • Nonstick cooking spray for the dish and the foil

Equipment

  • 9×13-inch baking dish
  • 12-inch deep skillet or Dutch oven
  • 6-quart pot
  • Box grater
  • Heavy-duty aluminum foil
  • Instant-read thermometer

Method
 

  1. Heat the oven to 375°F with the rack in the center, and spray a 9x13-inch dish. Fill the 6-quart pot with 4 quarts of water and cover it. Set the ricotta on the counter.
  2. Heat the olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the beef for 6 to 8 minutes, pressing it into pea-sized crumbles, until no pink remains and the edges brown. Set the covered pasta pot on high heat.
  3. Stir in the onion and cook for 4 minutes, until soft and see-through. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, until the paste turns brick red.
  4. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, basil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and sugar. Simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, until a spoon dragged across the pan leaves a trail.
  5. Add 2 tablespoons salt to the boiling water and cook the ziti for 8 minutes, about 3 minutes under the box time, until it bends but still has a firm, pale center. Drain without rinsing.
  6. Stir the ricotta, egg, 1/2 cup Parmesan, parsley, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until smooth and flecked with green.
  7. Stir the ziti into 3 cups of sauce until every piece looks glossy and red.
  8. Spread 1 cup of sauce in the dish, then add half the sauced pasta in an even layer.
  9. Drop the ricotta mixture over the pasta in 2 tablespoon mounds, then add the remaining pasta and the last of the sauce, until no dry noodles show.
  10. Sprinkle the mozzarella and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan over the top, until the cheese reaches every edge.
  11. Cover tightly with foil sprayed with cooking spray and bake at 375°F for 20 minutes, until the sauce bubbles at the edges.
  12. Uncover and bake for 15 to 20 minutes more, until the cheese is golden in spots and the center reads 165°F. For deeper color, broil on high for 1 to 2 minutes, watching closely.
  13. Rest for 10 minutes, until the bubbling settles, then cut into 8 squares.

Notes

Storage: Refrigerate leftovers for 3 to 4 days or freeze baked squares for up to 3 months.
Make ahead: Build the dish through the final sauce layer, refrigerate up to 24 hours, then add the cheese and bake covered for 30 minutes instead of 20.
Salt: Amounts are for Diamond Crystal. Use half as much of Morton kosher salt or table salt.