Baked Ziti
Dive into a comforting dish of baked ziti that’s not only perfect for family dinners but also ideal for stashing in your freezer for those busy nights! Layered with gooey mozzarella, rich marinara, and al dente pasta, this hearty meal is sure to become a favorite. Get ready to savor every bite and enjoy the convenience of a delicious, homemade treasure waiting for you!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
6
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 6🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- garlic salt
- 2 yellow onions
- pepper
🥩Meat & Seafood(2)
- just over 2 lbs of lean ground beef (907 g)
- 1 lb of mild Italian sausage (454 g)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(5)
- cottage cheese
- 2 eggs
- mozzarella cheese
- parmesan cheese
- 15 oz container of ricotta (425 g)
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- pasta
🧂Spices & Seasonings(4)
- black pepper
- garlic powder
- Italian seasoning
- salt
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 1 jar of Ragu brand sauce
📦Other(1)
- 1 jar of Rayo's marinara
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
811
Protein
60g
Carbs
32g
Fat
47g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Heat a pan and add 1 lb of mild Italian sausage and just over 2 lbs of lean ground beef.
- 2
Chop 2 yellow onions and add them to the pan.
- 3
Season the meat with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper.
- 4
Once the meat is cooked, add 1 jar of Ragu sauce and 1 jar of Rayo's marinara. Stir and let it simmer.
- 5
In a separate bowl, mix 15 oz of ricotta, cottage cheese, 2 eggs, parmesan cheese, pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic salt.
- 6
Cook 2 boxes of pasta and drain.
- 7
Combine some of the meat sauce with the ricotta mixture, then add the pasta.
- 8
In a baking dish, layer some meat sauce, pasta, and mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layers.
- 9
Bake in the oven at 375°F until the cheese is melted.
- 10
For freezing, assemble in smaller pans without baking and cover them.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Brown the sausage and beef separately before combining: sausage at 160°F internal temp (2-3 minutes per side), then remove and set aside while browning ground beef to 160°F. This prevents the sausage from breaking apart into tiny bits and creates better textural contrast in the final dish.timing160°F internal temp, 2-3 minutes per side
- ✓Add diced onions to the cold pan with the raw meat rather than pre-cooking them; they'll release moisture as the meat cooks, creating a braise effect that softens them evenly while the onion's natural sugars caramelize at 300-350°F as the pan heats.technique300-350°F caramelize temperature
- ✓Mix the ricotta filling to a 2:1 ratio of ricotta to cottage cheese by volume (about 10 oz ricotta to 5 oz cottage cheese) because the higher protein in ricotta (11g per ½ cup vs 4g in cottage cheese) prevents the filling from becoming watery during baking as moisture expels above 150°F.ingredient2:1 ricotta to cottage cheese ratio
- ✓Combine only 1.5-2 cups of meat sauce with the ricotta mixture (roughly 40% of your total sauce) rather than mixing all sauce together; this keeps the filling firm enough to layer without the pasta becoming mushy, since excess liquid prevents proper protein setting during the 375°F bake.technique1.5-2 cups sauce per 15 oz ricotta (40% ratio)
- ✓Bake uncovered at 375°F for 35-40 minutes until the internal temp reaches 165°F at the center; covering would trap steam and result in a soggy middle layer, while uncovered baking allows the top mozzarella to achieve a 185°F melting point and browning through the Maillard reaction.timing375°F, 35-40 minutes, 165°F internal temp
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
6
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Baked Ziti
Dive into a comforting dish of baked ziti that’s not only perfect for family dinners but also ideal for stashing in your freezer for those busy nights! Layered with gooey mozzarella, rich marinara, and al dente pasta, this hearty meal is sure to become a favorite. Get ready to savor every bite and enjoy the convenience of a delicious, homemade treasure waiting for you!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 6🥬Fresh Produce(3)
- garlic salt
- 2 yellow onions
- pepper
🥩Meat & Seafood(2)
- just over 2 lbs of lean ground beef (907 g)
- 1 lb of mild Italian sausage (454 g)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(5)
- cottage cheese
- 2 eggs
- mozzarella cheese
- parmesan cheese
- 15 oz container of ricotta (425 g)
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- pasta
🧂Spices & Seasonings(4)
- black pepper
- garlic powder
- Italian seasoning
- salt
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 1 jar of Ragu brand sauce
📦Other(1)
- 1 jar of Rayo's marinara
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
811
Protein
60g
Carbs
32g
Fat
47g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Heat a pan and add 1 lb of mild Italian sausage and just over 2 lbs of lean ground beef.
- 2
Chop 2 yellow onions and add them to the pan.
- 3
Season the meat with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper.
- 4
Once the meat is cooked, add 1 jar of Ragu sauce and 1 jar of Rayo's marinara. Stir and let it simmer.
- 5
In a separate bowl, mix 15 oz of ricotta, cottage cheese, 2 eggs, parmesan cheese, pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic salt.
- 6
Cook 2 boxes of pasta and drain.
- 7
Combine some of the meat sauce with the ricotta mixture, then add the pasta.
- 8
In a baking dish, layer some meat sauce, pasta, and mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layers.
- 9
Bake in the oven at 375°F until the cheese is melted.
- 10
For freezing, assemble in smaller pans without baking and cover them.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Brown the sausage and beef separately before combining: sausage at 160°F internal temp (2-3 minutes per side), then remove and set aside while browning ground beef to 160°F. This prevents the sausage from breaking apart into tiny bits and creates better textural contrast in the final dish.timing160°F internal temp, 2-3 minutes per side
- ✓Add diced onions to the cold pan with the raw meat rather than pre-cooking them; they'll release moisture as the meat cooks, creating a braise effect that softens them evenly while the onion's natural sugars caramelize at 300-350°F as the pan heats.technique300-350°F caramelize temperature
- ✓Mix the ricotta filling to a 2:1 ratio of ricotta to cottage cheese by volume (about 10 oz ricotta to 5 oz cottage cheese) because the higher protein in ricotta (11g per ½ cup vs 4g in cottage cheese) prevents the filling from becoming watery during baking as moisture expels above 150°F.ingredient2:1 ricotta to cottage cheese ratio
- ✓Combine only 1.5-2 cups of meat sauce with the ricotta mixture (roughly 40% of your total sauce) rather than mixing all sauce together; this keeps the filling firm enough to layer without the pasta becoming mushy, since excess liquid prevents proper protein setting during the 375°F bake.technique1.5-2 cups sauce per 15 oz ricotta (40% ratio)
- ✓Bake uncovered at 375°F for 35-40 minutes until the internal temp reaches 165°F at the center; covering would trap steam and result in a soggy middle layer, while uncovered baking allows the top mozzarella to achieve a 185°F melting point and browning through the Maillard reaction.timing375°F, 35-40 minutes, 165°F internal temp