This is one of my ALL TIME FAVORITES, and I’m sure it will become yours too!   

 

Baked Ziti

 

Everyone in my family declares this a favorite and for good reason:

it’s easy to make

delicious

and perfect for all occasions!

It has been a favorite since I was young.

I have served this at NUMEROUS parties and it’s always a huge hit!

I can remember my mom making it often and I just loved how the Mozzarella Cheese would stretch out long,

like on pizza! Oh, how I love delicious stringy cheese.

I baked this in a 13×9 pan, but it can also be made into individual dishes (not small dishes but, in white porcelain boat like dishes) which is how I remember my mom making it. Either way, this recipe is a keeper.

This is my go-to meal for bringing to someone as well, it travels well and doesn’t take long to make.

You can mix it up by adding sausage, and if you are a “peppers and onion” fan, you can add some of those, even mushrooms are yummy. Most often I keep it simple and make it just how the recipe is written.

It’s an easy dish to make and is great to serve a crowd, I’ve made it when we’ve had parties of 20+ guests and it’s just PERFECT Doubled of course.

If you’re into FAVORITES you may like THIS, THIS and THIS although they are not food-related,  they are some of my favorites, and here are more of my FOODIE FAVORITES right here.

 

Simple ingredients make a fantastic meal

• Pasta
• Meat 
• Cheese
• Sauce
• see it’s that simple and more delicious than you can imagine!
•  

This is a great meal to make for the family, there are sure to be some leftovers and they reheat beautifully!

This is the meal I make for Pot Luck Dinners, as a Thank You, yes I make dinner as a thank you… everyone loves comfort food as a thank you.

I have MANY Baked Ziti Recipes… take a look at my

• Taco Baked Ziti
• Sausage Peppers and Onions Baked Ziti
• Mushroom Baked Ziti
• Chicken Baked Ziti
• Buffalo Chicken
• Chicken Parmesan Meatball Baked Ziti
• Cordon Bleu Baked Ziti
• Veggie: Italian Zucchini Baked Ziti

 

Hot and cheesy and oh so yummy…

 

Cook pasta until it’s al dente (do not overcook the pasta).

When baking pasta undercooking the pasta for a minute is so much better than overcooking it for a second.

While the pasta is cooking, brown the ground beef in a pan until it’s thoroughly cooked.

 

In large bowl place pasta, marinara sauce.

 

Add to it the ground beef, salt, and pepper to taste along with oregano.

 

Mix well.

 

In a 13×9 pan create 2 layers of the pasta mixture topping each with a cup of grated Mozzarella Cheese.

Put this recipe in an aluminum foil pan for easy cleanup or to take to a party or to drop off at someone’s house for dinner, they’ll LOVE IT!

It’s the perfect dinner to bring somewhere!

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until the cheese is all melted and bubbly and the food is fully heated.

 

 

This dish is great for parties, you can bake it in disposable aluminum dishes for easy cleanup.

• You can add 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese to the sauce for a cheesier baked ziti.
• Top dish with grated parmesan cheese if you want the cheese to brown on top
• Cover the baked ziti with non-stick foil or foil sprayed with an oil spray so it doesn’t’ stick to the cheese, remove foil last 5 minutes of baking to brown the cheese a bit.

 

I often make two trays of Baked Ziti and allow one to cool completely, wrap it well and put it in the freezer.

It’s wonderful to have a tray of Ziti all prepared, just thaw and reheat.

If I’m unable to find ZITI noodles, I have used penne instead, but I really love ziti noodles and prefer them since the dish is baked, ziti noodles are thicker than penne.

Here is my recipe for Homemade Tomato Sauce

This is a great dish if you like baked ziti, you’ll LOVE this cheesy broccoli dish too!

An easy Go-To Casserole Dinner

this is great for easy filling weeknight dinner

perfect for bringing to a friend as a covered dish, great for a hello, a thank you, and to bring when someone needs cheering up.

Is there ricotta cheese in baked ziti?

I grew up that ricotta cheese was in lasagna and not in baked ziti, but some restaurants put ricotta cheese in both. 

If I want ricotta cheese in my baked ziti, how much should I add?

Mix 16 of ricotta cheese with 1 egg, 1/2 teaspoon oregano and 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder. Layer it by alternating in between the sauced pasta. 

Should the sauce completely cover the noodles or should the sauce be layered in baked ziti?

The sauce is mixed to coat all the pasta in baked ziti.

How should I reheat baked ziti?

You can reheat it in the microwave with a paper towel on top so it doesn’t spatter. You can reheat it in the oven at 350° for 20+ minutes until it’s hot. You can reheat it in a skillet over medium heat until hot.

What pasta can I use instead of ziti noodles?

Penne pasta works well as a replacement as you can see, I’ve had to use them when ziti is not available. I do prefer ziti noodles, they are thicker and don’t swell when baked in the sauce, they hold up and don’t fall apart when reheating. Be sure to cook your pasta, just to al dente so they don’t get too soft or mushy when being baked.

 

 

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These recipes are easy and delicious and are crowd pleasers!