Baked Ziti Ground Beef Marinara (Printable)
Ziti pasta combined with seasoned ground beef, rich marinara, and a melty cheese topping baked until bubbly.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 1 pound ziti or penne pasta
→ Meat
02 - 1 pound ground beef, 85% lean
→ Sauce
03 - 3 cups marinara sauce
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
06 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
→ Cheeses
07 - 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
08 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
09 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
→ Spices & Seasonings
10 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
11 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
12 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
13 - 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Boil salted water in a large pot. Cook pasta until just al dente according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook onion until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
04 - Add ground beef to the skillet. Brown and cook through, breaking up the meat with a spoon, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain excess fat.
05 - Stir marinara sauce, Italian herbs, salt, black pepper, and optional crushed red pepper flakes into the beef mixture. Simmer for 5 minutes.
06 - In a large bowl, mix half the meat sauce with cooked pasta, ricotta cheese, and 1 cup mozzarella cheese.
07 - Spread half the pasta mixture into the prepared dish. Top with half the remaining sauce and half the Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers with remaining pasta mixture, sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan.
08 - Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden.
09 - Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It comes together in about an hour and tastes like you spent all afternoon stirring a pot.
- The layers of cheese and sauce mean every bite has something different going on.
- Leftovers are somehow better the next day, reheated straight from the fridge.
02 -
- Don't cook the pasta all the way to tender; it will finish cooking in the oven and you'll regret mushy pasta more than you can imagine.
- The gap between covered and uncovered baking is not just tradition—covered prevents the top from drying out while the middle heats, and uncovered lets it brown and get crispy, which changes everything.
03 -
- Drain the pasta into a colander but don't rinse it; the starch on the outside helps the sauce cling to every piece.
- If you have fresh basil on hand, tear some over the top right before serving—it adds brightness that jarred herbs can't match.