Baked Ziti Ground Beef Mozzarella (Printable)
Tender ziti layered with savory ground beef, tomato sauce, and melted mozzarella cheese, baked till golden.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 1 lb ziti pasta
→ Meat
02 - 1 lb ground beef (80-85% lean)
→ Vegetables & Aromatics
03 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
→ Sauce
05 - 24 oz jar tomato pasta sauce (marinara or tomato basil)
06 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
07 - 1 tsp dried oregano
08 - 1 tsp dried basil
09 - ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
10 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
→ Cheese
11 - 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
12 - 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
13 - 1 cup ricotta cheese
→ Other
14 - 2 tbsp olive oil
15 - Fresh basil leaves, for garnish (optional)
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook ziti until just al dente, about 7–8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook onion until softened, about 3–4 minutes, then add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
04 - Add ground beef to skillet, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook until browned with no pink remaining, about 7 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.
05 - Stir in tomato paste, pasta sauce, oregano, basil, crushed red pepper flakes (if using), salt, and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes to combine flavors.
06 - In a bowl, combine ricotta cheese with half of the Parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper.
07 - Spread half of the cooked ziti in the baking dish. Layer half of the meat sauce, dollops of half the ricotta mixture, and half the mozzarella cheese.
08 - Repeat layering with remaining ziti, meat sauce, ricotta mixture, and finish with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
09 - Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
10 - Remove foil and bake an additional 10–15 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden.
11 - Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil leaves if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It comes together in about an hour and tastes like you spent all afternoon on it.
- The ricotta layer creates pockets of creamy richness that balance the savory meat sauce beautifully.
- You can assemble it ahead and bake when hunger strikes, making weeknight dinners less frantic.
02 -
- Under-cooking the pasta is not a mistake here—it'll finish cooking in the oven, so resist the urge to cook it until it's fully tender at the pasta stage.
- Don't skip draining the fat from the beef if there's a lot, because a greasy sauce will separate and weep as it bakes rather than stay cohesive.
- The 10-minute rest after baking is genuinely important and makes the difference between a sloppy scoop and something that holds its shape on the plate.
03 -
- Use a box grater to shred your mozzarella from a block rather than buying pre-shredded—it melts into a smoother, more cohesive blanket on top.
- If your baking dish is darker or heavier, reduce the oven temperature by 10 to 15 degrees so the bottom doesn't over-brown before the middle is done.