Description
A comforting and hearty pasta bake featuring ziti (or similar pasta) with a rich meat and marinara sauce, creamy ricotta, and melted mozzarella cheese, baked to bubbly perfection and garnished with fresh parsley.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta and Cheese Mix
- 1 lb. Pasta, ziti, penne, or rigatoni
- 1 cup Ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1 egg, whisked
- 2 ½ cups mozzarella cheese, separated
Meat Sauce
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 (24 oz.) jars marinara sauce
Garnish
- Fresh parsley, to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the pasta dish.
- Combine Cheeses: In a bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, grated Parmesan, whisked egg, and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Set this mixture aside for layering later.
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the package’s al dente time, ensuring it stays firm. Drain the pasta well.
- Prepare Meat Sauce: In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook and crumble the ground beef with diced onions until beef is browned and onions softened. Drain excess grease. Add minced garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, onion powder, and Italian seasoning; cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add Marinara Sauce: Stir in the marinara sauce, heating the mixture through. Remove from heat once combined and heated.
- Assemble Pasta Bake: Combine the drained pasta with about three-quarters of the meat sauce. Transfer this mixture to a lightly greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Then dollop the ricotta cheese mixture evenly on top, followed by the remaining meat sauce.
- Bake Covered: Cover the baking dish and bake in the preheated oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes to allow flavors to meld and pasta to cook fully.
- Add Cheese Topping: Remove the cover and sprinkle the remaining 1 ½ cups of mozzarella cheese evenly over the top. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Bake Uncovered: Bake uncovered for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and nicely browned on top.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove from oven, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve warm. Pairs beautifully with garlic bread topped with cheese.
Notes
- This recipe uses a generous amount of sauce because the pasta absorbs a lot as it bakes; if preferred, you can reduce the sauce slightly.
- Choosing rigatoni with ridges helps the sauce cling better to the pasta, enhancing flavor in every bite.
- You can substitute ground beef with other ground meats like pork, veal, or sausage for varied flavor.
- Using fresh mozzarella and freshly grated Parmesan cheese improves the creaminess and taste compared to pre-shredded packaged cheese.
- For make-ahead convenience, you can prepare the sauce and assemble the casserole ahead of time, refrigerate up to 2 days, and add extra baking time when ready.
- The casserole can be frozen after assembly; thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours before baking as directed.
