Baked Ziti Casserole Recipes

BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions and saute until starting to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the ground beef and sausage and cook until browned. Drain off almost all of the fat, leaving a bit behind for flavor and moisture. Add the tomato sauce, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and some salt and pepper. Stir, bring to a simmer and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove 3 to 4 cups of the cooked sauce to a bowl to cool down.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add some salt. Cook the ziti until not quite al dente.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a bowl, mix 2 cups of the grated mozzarella, the ricotta, Parmesan, parsley, eggs and some salt and pepper. Stir together just a couple of times (do not mix completely).
• Drain the pasta and rinse under cool water to stop the cooking and cool it down. Pour it into the bowl with the cheese mixture and toss to slightly combine (there should still be large lumps). Add the cooled reserved meat sauce and toss to combine.
• Add half the coated pasta to a large casserole dish or lasagna dish. Spoon half of the remaining sauce over the top, then top with half the remaining mozzarella. Repeat with another layer of the coated pasta and the remaining sauce and mozzarella.
• Bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before sprinkling with chopped parsley to serve.

BAKED ZITI CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta; set aside. In a small bowl, combine the egg, ricotta and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. , Spread 1 cup spaghetti sauce in a 13x9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with a third of the pasta, half of the ricotta mixture, 2/3 cup mozzarella cheese, 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese and 1 cup sauce. Repeat layers of pasta, ricotta mixture and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Top with remaining pasta, sauce mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. , Cover and bake at 375° for 45-50 minutes or until heated through.

EASY ZITI BAKE

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. , Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°. In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce. , In a large bowl, combine eggs, ricotta cheese, 1-1/2 cups mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan cheese. Drain pasta; add to cheese mixture and stir until blended., Spoon a third of the meat sauce into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish; top with half of the pasta mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining meat sauce., Cover and bake 40 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160°. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

BAKED ZITI CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F.
• Cook and drain pasta as directed on package. In 12-inch skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink; drain. Add soup, pepper and cooked pasta; stir well.
• In small bowl, mix ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese and egg.
• Spoon pasta mixture into ungreased 11x7-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish. Spoon ricotta cheese mixture on top; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Spray sheet of foil with cooking spray; cover baking dish with foil, sprayed side down.
• Bake 25 to 30 minutes, removing foil last 10 minutes of bake time, until cheese melts and mixture is hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with basil.

THE BEST BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Cut down the length of each sausage with a sharp knife. Remove and discard casings.
• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan set over high heat. Add sausages and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up with a spatula, until the sausage begins to brown, and the onion turns translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add oregano, thyme, and rosemary and cook for 1 minute more. Pour in marinara sauce. Pour 1 cup water into each jar to rinse out remaining sauce; add to the saucepan. Stir together and bring sauce to a simmer.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low, and let simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed. Turn off heat and reserve until needed. Before using, skim any excess fat that rises to the surface.
• While sauce simmers, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add ziti and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 or 2 minutes less than the directions on the package call for, about 8 minutes. Drain well and transfer into a large mixing bowl.
• Carefully add the meat sauce and stir until thoroughly combined. Let rest for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a large 9x15-inch or 9x13-inch casserole dish with a drizzle of olive oil.
• Use a slotted spoon to transfer half of the pasta and sauce mixture to the prepared dish, then use a spatula to even out into a uniform layer. Top with 1/2 of the ricotta cheese, 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese, and then 1/2 of the grated Pecorino Romano cheese, being sure to distribute evenly. Top with the rest of the pasta and sauce mixture and give the pan a little shake to settle the sauce. Repeat the cheese application.
• Bake in the center of the preheated oven until the cheese is melted and the casserole is piping hot, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Top with parsley.

BAKED ZITI CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Cook and drain ground beef.
• Saute green pepper, onion, and mushrooms and add to ground beef.
• Add onion powder and garlic powder, oregano and 3 tablespoons of the tomato paste. Stir and set aside while you cook pasta.(al dente).
• Drain cooked pasta and set aside.
• Stir together the cottage cheese, sour cream.
• Slice the black olives and add to the cottage cheese mixture.
• Mix the spaghetti sauce and remaining tomato paste with the ziti.
• Spray 9x13 pan with non stick spray.
• Place half the noodles in the pan.
• Top with meat mixture and a layer of parmesan cheese.
• Top with the cottage cheese and sour cream mixture.
• Top with a layer of the Mozarella cheese.
• Top with the other half of the noodles and a final layer of parmesan cheese (the inside layers of cheese can be thin, just enough to add a cheesy layer).
• Bake uncovered 30 minute or until hot and bubbly and cheeses are melted.

BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Preheat the Oven - Set the oven rack to the middle position and the temperature to 375°F (190ºC).
• Cook the Pasta - In a large dutch oven or pot, bring water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and stir to dissolve. Add in the ziti. Cook it according to package directions until al dente, about 9 to 10 minutes. Drain in a colander, and rinse with cool water for about 30 seconds to immediately stop the cooking process. Separate them with a spoon so they do not stick together. Leave some moisture on the surface and set it aside.
• Brown the Sausage - Heat olive oil in the dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the sausage. Break into smaller pieces, and cook until browned, about 4 to 5 minutes.
• Cook the Aromatics - Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the onion, garlic, and 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning. Sauté until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes.
• Add the Tomatoes - Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Stir and simmer for 10 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Reserve 2 cups of the meat sauce.
• Sauce the Pasta - Add the ziti to the meat sauce and stir to combine. Set aside.
• Make the Cheese Mixture - In a medium-sized bowl, stir together ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, ¼ cup parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, parsley, and egg.
• Layer the Casserole - In a 13-inch by 9-inch baking dish add half of the pasta. Evenly dollop with half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Spread half of the reserved meat sauce on top. Add the remaining pasta on top, followed by the ricotta cheese mixture and the remaining meat sauce. Evenly sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup of parmesan cheese on top.
• Bake - Loosely cover the baking dish with greased foil so that it does not touch the pasta. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the cheese is melted and lightly golden brown, about 15 minutes.
• Serve - If desired, garnish with chopped parsley and parmesan cheese.

BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for several minutes, or until starting to soften. Add Italian sausage and ground beef and cook until browned. Drain off fat, leaving a bit behind for flavor and moisture.
• Add tomatoes, tomato juice, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Stir and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. After that time, remove 3 to 4 cups of the sauce to a different bowl to cool down.
• Preheat oven to 375˚. In a separate bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, 2 cups of the grated mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, and salt and pepper. Stir together just a couple of times (do not mix completely).
• Drain the pasta and rinse under cool water to stop the cooking and cool it down. Pour it into the bowl with the cheese mixture and toss to slightly combine (there should still be large lumps.) Add the cooled meat sauce and toss to combine.
• Add half the coated pasta to a large casserole dish or lasagna dish. Spoon half of the remaining sauce over the top, then top with half the remaining mozzarella cheese. Repeat with another layer of the coated pasta, the sauce, and the mozzarella. Bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbling. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before serving. (Sprinkle chopped parsley over the pasta before serving!)

BAKED ZITI (EASY PASTA CASSEROLE) VIDEO

Steps:

• Cook pasta in salted water according to package instructions until just aldente them drain (so not overcook since they will continue to cook in the oven).
• In a deep pan or dutch oven, over medium-high heat, cook ground beef and onion, breaking up the beef with a spatula, until beef is fully cooked through and onions are softened (5-7 minutes). Add minced garlic, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and sautee another minute. Add 5 cups marinara, bring to a simmer and continue cooking 5 minutes then turn off the heat.
• Spread a ladle of meat sauce over the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish.
• Into the remaining sauce, add chopped basil and spoon in ricotta. Add cooked pasta and stir just until noodles are coated (you want to keep that ricotta texture)
• Transfer half of the pasta to the casserole dish. Top with 1/2 of shredded mozzarella and 1/2 grated parmesan. Add remaining pasta and top with remaining mozzarella and parmesan.
• Clear the edges of the pan so the cheese doesn't burn onto the dish. Bake at 350˚F for 25 minutes. Broil 1-2 minutes to brown the cheese. Let cool 5 minutes then garnish with basil if desired and serve.

CHEESY BAKED ZITI WITH BEEF

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Heat the oven to 350 F. Lightly butter a 2 1/2-quart baking dish. Bring a big pot of water to a boil.
• Drizzle the olive oil in a very large skillet or sauté pan and place it over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the ground beef, onion, and green bell pepper. Cook, stirring until the onion is tender and the beef is no longer pink.
• Drain off the excess fat and then add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer.
• While the meat is simmering, cook the ziti in the boiling salted water until just al dente. The pasta needs to still have some bite as it will continue cooking in the oven. Set aside.
• Add the cooked pasta and half of the mozzarella cheese to the pan with the meat sauce.
• Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.
• Top the casserole with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
• Bake the ziti for 25 to 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
• Serve hot and enjoy!

BAKED ZITI CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook ziti in boiling water until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 13 minutes; drain. Rinse ziti with cold water until cool; drain.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Mix ziti, ricotta cheese, 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, egg, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
• Spread 1/2 cup tomato sauce into the bottom of a 2 1/2-quart shallow baking dish. Pour ziti mixture into the dish. Top with remaining 1 1/2 cup tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in preheated oven until sauce and cheese layer is bubbly and lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.