Simple Cheesy Baked Ziti Recipes

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.

EASY CHEESY BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350˚F. Spray a 13-by-9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
• Cook ziti in boiling water according to package directions.
• While the ziti is cooking, place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add ground beef and cook until browned, breaking up any large chunks with a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes.
• Drain any excess liquid from the skillet. Add spaghetti sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes, until the meat is fully coated and sauce is heated through.
• Drain ziti in a colander and return to the pot. Stir in alfredo sauce to thoroughly coat the pasta and set aside.
• Add enough meat sauce to just cover the bottom of the dish, about 1 1/4 cups. Add half of the cooked ziti and spread evenly over the sauce. Add half of the remaining meat sauce and spread evenly. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Add the remaining ziti in an even layer on top, then top with remaining meat sauce, spreading it to cover the pasta. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
• Bake for 20 minutes, until the top is bubbly and golden brown. Serve with a salad and crusty French bread.

EASY CREAMY BAKED ZITI RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F and spray an 11x9-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a large saucepan, cook the pasta according to package (al dente/no salt) directions, drain.
• In the same large saucepan set over medium heat, cook the marinara sauce and cream cheese together until the cheese melts. Stir often.
• Add the pasta to the marinara/cheese sauce and mix well.
• Pour half the marinara/cheese/ziti sauce in the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with half the mozzarella and half the Parmesan cheeses.
• Sprinkle the cheeses with 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil.
• Layer the remaining marinara/cheese/ziti sauce over the cheese and top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
• Cover and bake at 375° for 30 minutes.
• Remove the cover and bake an additional 15-20 minutes or until the baked ziti is bubbly and cheese is golden.
• Garnish with the remaining chopped basil and serve with toasted baguette.
• Enjoy!

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.

EASY & CHEESY BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Brown the ground beef in a skillet.
• Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasonings and drain.
• Stir in the jar of spaghetti sauce and 1 cup of chicken broth.
• Allow this to simmer while you cook the noodles.
• Cook noodles until al dente and then drain.
• Stir one cup of sauce into the drained noodles.
• Add 1/2 cup of sauce to the bottom of a 9×13 dish, and then pour in 1/2 of the noodles.
• Top these noodles with half the cheese. Repeat these steps with the remainder of the ingredients.
• Bake for twenty minutes covered at 350 degrees.
• Remove foil and bake another ten minutes.

SUPER CHEESY BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain.
• Combine 4 cups mozzarella, pasta sauce, ricotta, cream cheese, 2 tablespoons Parmesan, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add cooked ziti and mix well to coat. Transfer to a 9x13-inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and Parmesan over top, along with parsley. Cover with foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until thoroughly heated and cheese on top is melted, 20 to 30 minutes.

SIMPLE CHEESY BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add the ziti. Cook until tender, about 8 minutes, then drain the pasta.
• Place the ziti in a large bowl.
• Mix with the ricotta and half of the mozzarella.
• Grease a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish. Use butter, it tastes better.
• Mix the oregano and the paprika into the spaghetti sauce.
• Pour half of the spaghetti sauce on the bottom of the pan.
• Add the ziti mixture and cover with the remaining sauce.
• Sprinkle with Parmesan and the remaining mozzarella.
• Bake uncovered, for 20 to 30 minutes, until the casserole bubbles on the edges.

EXTRA CHEESY BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Combine canned tomatoes and their juices, basil, garlic, salt, pepper and the mascarpone cheese in a blender or food processor. (A food mill will also work.) Blend until the basil and garlic are chopped into tiny bits and the sauce is well mixed. Taste and adjust with additional salt as needed. Set aside.
• Heat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (if your oven runs hot, reduce this to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.)
• Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, add the pasta, and then cook for about half of the recommended cook time on the package (5 or 6 minutes). Save 1/2 cup of the pasta water, drain the pasta, and then place it back into the pot. Undercooking the pasta makes sure that it does not overcook when baked with the sauce in the oven.
• In a medium bowl, toss the mozzarella, Fontina and Pecorino Romano cheese together.
• Add the sauce, 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water and three-quarters of the shredded cheese mix to the pot with pasta. Stir well. The mixture should look a bit thin, if it seems thick, add a splash more of the reserved pasta water.
• Transfer the ziti mixture to a large baking dish and top with the remaining shredded cheese mix. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted and golden brown on top. Allow the baked ziti to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

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!