Cheesy Baked Ziti Recipe

You don't have to have Italian blood running through your veins to appreciate the goodness that is baked pasta. While lasagna may be one of the most popular baked pasta dishes out there, this baked ziti is just as good! If you're looking for a carb-filled treat with layers of pasta, meat sauce, and cheese, then look no further than this recipe. As you can see from the title, the dish does not skimp out on cheese and features three different types. So, you should get a good helping of ooey, gooey goodness in every bite.

Recipe developer Christina Musgrave of Tasting with Tina created this fantastic recipe that checks all the boxes and will keep you feeling full and satisfied. "I love that this recipe is easy to follow for home cooks of all levels," she raves. "As long as you have the right ingredients, it's pretty hard to mess up this recipe. A cheesy pasta bake is always delicious!"

For starters, you will need to get a pound of ziti pasta noodles. As for the rest of the ingredients? Pick up olive oil, ground beef, white onion, garlic cloves, salt, black pepper, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, ricotta cheese, provolone cheese, and Parmesan cheese. As you can tell, this dish is deliciously cheesy. "You can use ground pork or ground chicken as a sub for ground beef. You could also add in other melty cheeses, like Asiago or fontina," Musgrave notes of potential subs. 

Before you bake everything, you will need to cook the pasta. Place a large pot of salted water on your stove and crank up the heat, allowing the water to come to a boil. 

Then, grab the box of ziti and check the back for cooking instructions. Since all brands vary, it's best to check for brand-specific instructions. Once you finish cooking the ziti, drain the excess water and set it to the side.

For this step, you will need a large skillet. Place it on your stove and turn the heat up to medium. First, drizzle in the olive oil and add the ground beef and sauté for about 5 minutes. Be sure you don't cook the meat too long and burn it, Musgrave notes. 

Next, add the white onion, garlic, salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning, and sauté for another 5 minutes.

Now, it's time to throw in the tomato sauce with the beef mixture. Stir the contents of the pan well and let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes. Once the 10 minutes are up, add the first kind of cheese, the ricotta. Mix well to combine the cheese with the rest of the ingredients. 

Since we are getting closer to bake time, go ahead and preheat the oven to 350 F.

Be sure to grease a baking dish and to cook the recipe. Add the cooked ziti first and then top it with the meat sauce. Be sure to stir it well to combine. 

To add more cheesy goodness to the mix, place the provolone cheese slices to the top. Voila, it's good to go. Just pop the baking dish into the oven for 20 minutes and wait for the cheese on top to get golden brown.

Once you remove the dish from the oven, top it with the third and final cheese: the Parmesan. Now, all you need to do is scoop it onto a plate or into a bowl and dig in. "Serve this with red wine, a side salad, and garlic bread," Musgrave suggests.

Anything left? Be sure to keep it since Musgrave notes that "leftovers keep for 3-4 days."