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Easy authentic italian baked ziti recipe

Best & Easy Authentic Italian Baked Ziti Recipe


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  • Author: Anna Dykeman

Ingredients

Scale

Basic Ingredients:

For the Pasta:

  • 1 pound (about 450g) ziti pasta

For the Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 finely chopped medium onion
  • 2 minced garlic cloves
  • 1 pound (450g) ground beef (or a mix of beef and pork)
  • 28 ounces (about 800g) canned whole tomatoes, crushed by hand
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning

For the Filling:

  • 15 ounces (425g) ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/2 cup (about 50g) grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup (about 10g) fresh basil, chopped (optional)

To Assemble:

  • 8 ounces (225g) mozzarella cheese, sliced or shredded
  • Additional grated Parmesan cheese for topping

Alternative Ingredients:

  • Pasta – Whole wheat ziti, gluten-free ziti, or rigatoni pasta (they’re both tube-shaped pasta)
  • Olive oil – Canola oil or sunflower oil 
  • Onion – Shallots
  • Garlic cloves – Garlic powder
  • Ground beef – Ground turkey, chicken, or vegetarian ground substitute 
  • Canned whole tomatoes – crushed tomatoes, tomato paste
  • Pepper – Red pepper flakes
  • Dried oregano or Italian seasoning – Fresh herbs like oregano or mixed italian herbs 
  • Ricotta cheese – Cottage cheese, vegan ricotta
  • Egg – Flax egg
  • Parmesan cheese – Nutritional yeast for a dairy-free option 
  • Fresh basil – Dried basil

Mozzarella cheese – Vegan mozzarella or low-fat mozzarella


Instructions

  1. First, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and set up the ziti pasta in a large pot of salted water and cook it until it’s al dente, once done, set aside.
  2. Take a large sauté pan and heat some olive oil over medium heat, then add onions and garlic and sauté it until it’s all translucent and you’re smelling the aroma. 
  3. Once translucent, stir in crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, and oregano and let it simmer for about 20 minutes on low heat.
  4. Meanwhile, take a medium bowl and combine ricotta, beaten egg, Parmesan cheese, and basil together and mix it well using a wooden spoon.
  5. When done, take a large baking dish and spread a layer of the sauce from step 3 – just enough to cover the bottom.
  6. Pour half of the cooked ziti with the remaining meat sauce in the pan together and layer half of the entire mixture over the entire baking dish. 
  7. Take the ricotta cheese mixture you prepared in step 4 and spread it over the pasta, then add the rest of the pasta to it. 
  8. Top it off with mozzarella slides and sprinkle some additional Parmesan cheese on top.
  9. Bake it in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until you see the cheese getting bubbly and golden brown – once done, take it out of the oven and let it cool off at room temperature for a few minutes.

Lastly, serve the baked ziti with some basil as garnish on top of it – enjoy this savory authentic Italian dish that’s perfect for special occasions for the whole family or a comfort food kind of day.