Baked ziti is a casserole-type dish consisting of tubular pasta called ziti that is baked with a variety of other ingredients, mostly chunky sauces, cheese, meat, and vegetables such as mushrooms, peppers, and onions. The dish is considered a hybrid of Italian and American cuisines, basically an Americanized variety of a typical Italian dish, pasta al forno, which is commonly compared to baked ziti.
American Baked Ziti
Course: MainCuisine: American, ItalianDifficulty: Medium4
servings30
minutes40
minutes300
kcal1
hour10
minutesBaked ziti is a casserole-type dish consisting of tubular pasta called ziti that is baked with a variety of other ingredients, mostly chunky sauces, cheese, meat, and vegetables such as mushrooms, peppers, and onions. The dish is considered a hybrid of Italian and American cuisines, basically an Americanized variety of a typical Italian dish, pasta al forno, which is commonly compared to baked ziti.
Ingredients
3/4 lb. ziti pasta
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
pinch red pepper flakes
1 lb. ground beef
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 c. fresh ricotta
2 tbsp. thinly sliced basil, plus more for serving
1/2 c. grated Parmesan
2 c. shredded mozzarella
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until very al dente; drain.
- Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté, stirring often, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes minutes. Stir in garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for one minute. Add meat and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until browned. Drain fat.
- Add tomato paste and oregano and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes more, until slightly darkened. Add crushed tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Bring sauce to a simmer, reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced and flavors have melded, 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in basil.
- In a large bowl, combine sauce and pasta. Fold in ricotta, leaving large clumps. Spread about half of the pasta mixture into the bottom of a large casserole dish. Sprinkle half of the mozzarella and Parmesan over the pasta. Top with the rest of the pasta mixture and sprinkle with the remaining cheeses.
- Cover with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling. Garnish with more basil before serving.
