Baked Ziti Recipe - Delicious baked ziti pasta recipe made with a homemade meat sauce baked to a golden perfection with mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
Ingredients you need to make Baked Ziti:
Ziti Pasta - You'll need a half pound of any short cut pasta.
Ground Beef - You'll need one half pound of ground beef. I used 90/10 fat ratio but you can also use 85/15. You can also use ground turkey or ground Italian sausage in this recipe.
Olive Oil - You may also use avocado oil.
Balsamic Vinegar - Adds a delicious flavor to the sauce! If you don't have balsamic vinegar, that's ok you can substitute for red wine or skip this ingredient all together.
Seasonings: Salt, Black Pepper, Dried Oregano, Dried Basil, Dried Oregano, Dried Parsley.
Garlic - Fresh garlic is best. You may also use one teaspoon garlic powder.
Celery - Carrot adds a delicious hearty flavor to the sauce, so i don't recommend skipping this ingredient.
Diced Tomatoes - One 15 ounce can of diced tomatoes. You can use two cups of fresh diced tomatoes in substitution.
Spinach - Two cups of fresh chopped spinach. You can skip this if you aren't a fan.
Onion - Yellow, white or red onion all work great.
Tomato Sauce - Tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes both work great in this recipe. I used one 15 ounce can of tomato sauce.
Mozzarella Cheese - Freshly grated mozzarella cheese is best but you can use pre-shredded as well!
Parmesan Cheese - Freshly grated parmesan cheese is best but you can use pre-shredded as well!
Tools to have on hand for this recipe:
- Large Skillet and Saucepan – To boil the pasta & to cook your sauce in.
- Cooking Spoon – To stir sauce while cooking.
- Cutting Board _ For prepping onions and garlic.
- Chef Knife – Prepping onions and garlic.
- Measuring Spoons + Cups – To ensure all of your ingredients are properly measured.
How to make Baked Ziti Pasta:
Cook Ziti pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil, ground beef, onion, celery, salt and pepper. Cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is browned and veggies are soft.
Add diced tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, garlic, basil, parsley and oregano. Cover and continue to cook over medium heat until tomatoes are soft. Stir in tomato sauce.
Stir in cooked pasta, chopped spinach, parmesan cheese, and crushed red peppers.
Transfer pasta to an oven safe dish. Sprinkle top with mozzarella cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, until top is nice and golden.
When done, remove from oven and let cool before serving. Enjoy!
Side Dishes to serve with pasta:
Simple Caesar Salad - My quick and easy caesar salad is made with homemade dressing, crunchy romaine, croutons and freshly shaved parmesan cheese.
Rustic French Bread - Serve homemade french bread sliced with warm butter.
Buttermilk Rolls - Warm, soft and fluffy buttermilk rolls with a golden outer crust make these the best buttermilk rolls ever.
More Favorite Pasta Dishes:
Southwest Chicken Alfredo - Made with seasoned pan seared chicken, onions, garlic and penne pasta tossed in a mouthwatering southwest style cream sauce.
Turkey Spaghetti - The most easy and delicious Turkey Spaghetti using simple ingredients you have in your fridge/pantry.
Crockpot Cheese Tortellini with Chicken - Cheese tortellini with tender pieces of chicken in a creamy Alfredo marinara sauce.
Spicy Sausage Rigatoni - Amazing pasta recipe made with rigatoni tossed in a homemade tomato cream sauce with spicy sausage, parmesan cheese and fresh parsley. Done in under 30 minutes.
Baked Ziti Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ lb. Ziti Pasta
- ½ lb Ground Beef
- ½ cup Celery thinly sliced
- ½ Yellow Onion diced
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar
- 1 15 oz. Can Diced Tomatoes
- ¼ teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Dried Basil
- 1 teaspoon Dried Parsley
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 2 cup Fresh Chopped Spinach stems removed
- 1 15 oz. Can Tomato Sauce
- ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese grated
- ¾ cup Mozzarella Cheese grated
Instructions
- Cook Ziti pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add olive oil, ground beef, onion, celery, salt and pepper. Cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is browned and veggies are soft.
- Add diced tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, garlic, basil, parsley and oregano. Cover and continue to cook over medium heat until tomatoes are soft. Stir in tomato sauce.
- Stir in cooked pasta, chopped spinach, parmesan cheese, and crushed red peppers.
- Transfer pasta to an oven safe dish. Sprinkle top with mozzarella cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, until top is nice and golden.
- When done, remove from oven and let cool before serving. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Leave a Reply