This Baked Ziti recipe is my second in line behind my Lasagna recipe. It’s just as delicious but a little easier to make and doesn’t take as much time to put together.
Even my kids get excited about this recipe when I tell them this is what we are having for dinner. So it’s safe to say it’s a kid friendly recipe as well.
When mine say “this is delicious mom” that’s saying something because they can be quite the picky eaters (it’s rather annoying actually).
One thing I love about this recipe is it’s a one and done. What I mean by that is all you need is this one dish. You don’t have to worry about what sides you need to fix to go along with it.
Now, I don’t know about you but I tend to gravitate towards the same sides with almost every meal. I try to switch it up a bit but I still feel like I’m on repeat. I know a salad and garlic bread are almost a must have with most pasta dishes but sometimes I just forget to pick those items up (I’m only human) and my kids don’t seem to mind.
Enough with the no sides or should we have some sides, let’s move on to the recipe itself.
Let’s gather our ingredients:
- 16oz box of ziti noodles
- 4 cups Mozzarella cheese (shredded)
- 2 – 24oz jars spaghetti sauce (of your choice)
- 1 lb ground hamburger
- 1 lb sausage
- minced onion
- minced garlic
- salt
- pepper
- nugmeg
- Italian seasoning
- 24oz Ricotta Cheese
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup parmesan cheese
In case you are wondering, “what’s the deal with your hamburger”, I like to buy my hamburger meat in bulk at Costco. It’s cheaper that way. So I can just split it up in the amounts I like to use. Moving on.
If you would like an in detail step by step directions with pictures of this recipe then keep reading. Otherwise click this link, go straight to the recipe card.
First things first, pre heat your oven to 350°
In a large skillet on medium heat brown your hamburger and sausage with 2 tbsp minced onion, and 1 tbsp minced garlic. Once cooked all the way through, drain that grease.
Pour in both jars of whatever spaghetti sauce you chose along with 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, and 3 tsp Italian seasoning. Mix together until well combined. Once you bring your meat sauce to a boil, turn down the heat and let simmer until it’s time to assemble.
While your meat sauce simmers begin cooking your ziti noodles according to the directions on the back of the box.
It’s time to start on your ricotta filling. In a medium bowl combine 24 oz ricotta cheese, 2 eggs, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, 1 cup parmesan cheese, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, and 1/4 tsp Nugmeg. Mix until well combined.
On a side note, your ricotta concoction may look slightly different from mine. As you can see in the picture below mine has a yellow tint to it. That’s because I use my free range backyard chicken eggs. It’s the yolk that does that. Store bought eggs, the yolk is a much lighter color and doesn’t turn your white ricotta a yellow.
It’s time to assemble your baked ziti. In an ungreased 9×13 deep baking dish spread 1/2 cup of your meat sauce evenly across the bottom.
Pour half of your cooked ziti noodles on top of your meat sauce and spread evenly across.
Next pour half of your ricotta cheese mix over your ziti noodles and spread it evenly.
On top of your ricotta mix pour half of your meat sauce evenly across. I accidentally moved on to sprinkling mozzarella cheese next and forgot to take the just meat sauce picture. My bad, I had Gilmore Girls going on in the back ground and got distracted. So after you spread half your meat sauce, sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella cheese on top. Fill free to measure that cheese with your heart. I typically do but I knew I didn’t have any to spare for the end so 1 cup it is this time.
Then repeat: the other half of your ziti noodles, the rest of your ricotta cheese mix, and the rest of your meat sauce.
Now you can measure that shredded mozzarella cheese with your heart. I added all 2 cups to the top of my meat sauce (probably would have added more if I had it) and I don’t feel bad about it, not one bit. However, I feel if you’re lactose intolerant to be sure and take a pill before eating this dish of awesomeness.
Cover this baby with tin foil (sorry I failed to take that picture as well), place on top of a baking pan in case it decides to bubble over, and bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Once your timer goes off remove the tinfoil (be careful as you can see right in the middle of my ziti I took some cheese with my tin foil) and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until your cheese is good and melted.
Your baked ziti with ricotta is finished. It is so yummy! There’s cheesy strings for days when you go to serve it up.
That’s it, that’s all there is to it. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. Much easier and less time consuming than the Lasagna recipe I posted a while ago. Here is the link for that so you can try it out for next time, The Best Homemade Lasagna Recipe. On a serious not you will NOT be disappointed.
Enjoy your baked ziti friend. We sure did and will be enjoying the leftovers this evening.
Until next time!
Baked Ziti With Ricotta
Ingredients
- 16 oz box ziti noodles cook according to the box
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Sauce
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground pork sausage
- 2 tbsp minced onion
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 24oz jars spaghetti sauce of your choice
- 3 tsp italian seasoning
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Ricotta Filling
- 24 oz ricotta
- 2 eggs
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp italian seasoning
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°
Meat Sauce
- In a large skillet on medium heat cook hamburger, sausage, onion, and garlic until no longer pink. Drain grease
- Add the rest of the "Meat Sauce" ingredients and mix until well combined.
- Bring your sauce to a boil, once boiling turn down the heat and let simmer until it's time to assemble
- Boil your ziti noodles according to the box
Ricotta Filling
- In a medium size bowl combine all the "ricotta filling" ingredients. Mix until well combined.
How To Assemble
- In an ungreased 13×9 deep baking dish spread evenly ½ cup meat sauce
- Spread evenly half of your ziti noodles
- Spread evenly half of your ricotta mix
- Spread evenly half of your meat sauce
- Sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella cheese on top
- Spread evenly the rest of your ziti noodles
- Spread evenly the rest of your ricotta mix
- Spread evenly the rest of your meat sauce
- Top with 2 cups mozzarella Cheese
- Cover with tin foil and bake at 350° for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese melts and the top is beginning to turn brown.
- Enjoy!