Cheesy Baked Ziti

75 min · Easy · Serves 4

1290 kcal per serving · 67g protein

Ziti pasta tossed in rich tomato-beef sauce, layered with ricotta and melted mozzarella. Pure Italian-American comfort.

Ingredients

• 400 g Ziti pasta
• 400 g Ground beef
• Onion × 1
• 8 cloves Garlic
• 800 ml Tomato passata
• 4 tsp Tomato paste
• 40 ml Olive oil
• 8 g Italian herbs
• 8 g Salt
• 4 g Black pepper
• 4 g Sugar
• 300 g Ricotta
• 240 g Mozzarella
• 80 g Parmesan
• 12 g Fresh Basil
• 200 g Garlic bread, to serve
• 160 g Salad leaves, for a simple salad

Method

1. Heat olive oil

   

   Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high.

2. Add diced onion

   

   Add diced onion, cook 3 minutes.

3. Brown the beef

   

   Add ground beef and break up, cooking 6-7 minutes until browned.

4. Stir in garlic

   

   Stir in garlic, Italian herbs, and tomato paste for 1 minute.

5. Simmer the Sauce

   

   Pour in passata, season with salt and pepper, and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes until thickened. Taste and balance with a pinch of sugar if needed.

6. Preheat the oven

   

   While the sauce simmers, preheat the oven to 190°C.

7. Boil the pasta water

   

   While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.

8. Cook ziti

   

   Cook ziti for 2 minutes less than package instructions — it should still be very firm because it will finish cooking in the oven.

9. Drain into the sauce

   

   Drain the ziti — don't rinse it, the starch clinging to the pasta helps the sauce grip. Tip it straight into the pan of sauce.

10. Toss in the sauce

    

    Toss the ziti through the meat sauce until every piece is coated.

11. Layer half in a baking dish

    

    Transfer half the ziti and sauce to a baking dish. Dollop with half the ricotta.

12. Add remaining pasta

    

    Add remaining pasta, top with remaining ricotta dollops, then shower with mozzarella and parmesan.

13. Bake

    

    Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes until bubbling at the edges and the cheese is deeply golden on top.

14. Rest 10 minutes before serving

    

    Rest 10 minutes before serving — this lets the layers set.

15. Shower with torn fresh basil

    

    Shower with torn fresh basil.

16. Serve with garlic bread

    

    Serve with garlic bread and a simple salad.

More to cook

• Lasagna Soup45 min
• Cannelloni with Cheese & Ground Beef75 min
• Spinach & Ricotta Stuffed Shells60 min
• Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese35 min