Baked Ziti with Ground Beef
This comforting Baked Ziti with Ground Beef is a classic Italian-American favorite. What makes this dish truly irresistible is the combination of textures and flavors: tender pasta, robust meat sauce, and gooey cheese all baked together to create a warm, mouthwatering meal. Whether you’re feeding a hungry family or hosting friends, this meal will impress.
Main dish recipes don’t get more satisfying or tasty than this baked ziti. It’s one of those meals that everyone seems to love, whether served on a weeknight for the family or as a comforting option for a potluck or holiday gathering.
This baked ziti ground beef recipe is probably one of the first meals my youngest daughter made with other friends while in college. It’s now one of our meals we have from time to time and when time is short, I will make this slow cooker baked ziti. Another of our favorite pasta recipes is my spicy sausage and beef rigatoni as it also uses my favorite fire-roasted tomatoes.
Baked Ziti with Ground Beef
The thing I love about this recipe is that it can be made ahead of time and then placed in the oven when it’s time to cook dinner. It’s also a great dish to freeze leftovers in individual portions for quick lunches or dinners. You can add sautéed vegetables like mushrooms, zucchini, or spinach to the meat sauce to get those vegetables in.
The ziti does take a little bit of prep time but it all comes together quickly and then it’s just waiting for it to get baked in the oven. We love to serve this with a nice side salad and some homemade garlic and herb swirled bread.
Timesaving Tips and Variations
This is a meal that if you have everything set out before you start cooking, the process will flow easily.
- Substitute the ziti with penne or a similar type of noodle.
- When boiling your noodles, be sure to only cook them to Al Dente (meaning firm to the bite, not soft). They will finish cooking in the oven.
- If you prefer to use Italian sausage in this, you can replace all of the ground beef with it or use half and half.
- For a meatless meal, omit the meat or use a plant-based variety.
- I like to use mostly mozzarella and a bit of Parmesan cheese but if you prefer you can use all mozzarella.
- If you don’t care for ricotta, use cottage cheese. Once baked you can barely tell the difference. It’s all creamy goodness.
- Preparing this ahead of time? Add 15 or 20 minutes to the baking time if you’re taking out of the refrigerator.
- Store leftovers in the fridge or freeze in airtight containers.
Following these tips, your baked pasta will turn out perfectly every time, with tender noodles, flavorful sauce, and irresistibly gooey cheese.
Other Pasta Recipes to Enjoy
Love pasta? Then you will want to try a few of these delicious recipes.
Trying these different recipes is a fun way to mix things up in the kitchen and find new favorites.
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Equipment Recommended to Use for Baked Ziti
Making a pasta casserole is easy with the right kitchen items.
- 13×9 inch baking dish
- Lodge 10.25 inch Cast Iron Skillet
- large bowl
- measuring cups and spoons
- wooden spoon or rubber spatula
- Farberware Stock Pot
- OXO Good Grips Colander
💡Explore my favorite Kitchen Essentials (Amazon affiliate link)
Ingredients
Easy to find ingredients are used in this recipe. Stock your pantry with some of the staples to have on hand.
- garlic
- onion
- ground beef
- canned diced tomatoes
- spaghetti sauce
- red pepper flakes
- Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper
- Ziti
- ricotta cheese
- mozzarella cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- egg
How to Make Baked Ziti with Ground Beef
Gather all your ingredients and equipment before starting to cook. Read through the recipe card for the step-by-step instructions. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Mix the cheese ingredients in a large bowl. Drain the pasta and rinse with cool water. Add it to the cheese mixture and toss to combine slightly.
Cook the ground beef with onions and garlic. Drain any grease, but don’t rinse the meat. Stir the spaghetti sauce, tomatoes, and seasonings into the meat. Simmer for 30 minutes, then remove about 3½ cups of sauce and let it cool. Add the cooled reserved sauce to the pasta-cheese mixture and combine.
Layer half the pasta in a baking dish, then top with half the meat sauce and half the mozzarella.
Repeat with the rest of the pasta, sauce, and cheese.
Bake for 20–30 minutes until bubbly and the cheese is melted. Remove casserole from oven. Let it sit for a few minutes before serving. The finished dish is amazing, with layers of flavor and a comforting warmth that will leave you feeling happy and satisfied.
Ready to make this classic meal? Print and save the recipe to make soon.
Baked Ziti with Ground Beef
Equipment
- wooden spoon or rubber spatula
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 jar (24 ounces) spaghetti sauce
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 box (16 ounces) Ziti
- 1 container (15 ounces) whole milk ricotta cheese
- 4½ cups shredded mozzarella
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan Cheese
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, and egg – add salt and pepper, to taste.
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions for AL DENTE. You don't want them to be cooked all the way – they will finish cooking in the oven. Drain and rinse under cool water to stop the cooking process. Add the pasta to the bowl with the cheese mixture.
- In a large skillet, brown the ground beef and when it's just about done add the onion and garlic. Cook until the onion is soft and the meat is cooked through. Drain any grease but do not rinse.
- Add the spaghetti sauce, tomatoes, and seasonings to the meat in the skillet. Simmer for 30 minutes, then remove 3½ cups of sauce – let it cool. Once cooled, add the reserved sauce to the pasta-cheese mixture and combine.
- In the baking dish, layer half of the pasta, then HALF of the remaining sauce, and HALF of the mozzarella.
- Repeat another layer of pasta, sauce and the rest of the cheese.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20 – 30 minutes or until bubbly and the cheese is melted and golden brown. Remove from oven and let it sit for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutritional Disclaimer
“Blogghetti” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
2024 Alphabet Challenge – “Z”
In creating this post, I am sharing it in the 2024 Alphabet Challenge in which fellow foodies will share recipes with the letters of the alphabet. Every other week, we spotlight a letter and the culinary wonders it inspires. Today is “Z,” – we made it to the end! I’m sharing a classic pasta dish. Here is what the others are sharing. To see all the recipes I have shared in this challenge, go here. I can’t wait to do this again next year!
- Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Easy Ziti Bake
- Culinary Cam: Zabaglione alle Mandorle
- Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Zuppa Toscana
- Blogghetti: Baked Ziti with Ground Beef
- Food Lust People Love: Zucchini with Bacon Pangrattato
- Sneha’s Recipe: Zucchini Balls & Chicken Bake -Keto
- A Day in the Life on the Farm: Kolokithipites
- A Messy Kitchen: Zucchini Jam
- Magical Ingredients: Zhoug Zalouk Paratha Pockets
- Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Zesty Italian Balsamic Baked Oyster Crackers
- Mayuri’s Jikoni: Za’atar Swirls
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Enjoy!
Casseroles are such great comfort meals on a cold winter’s eve.
I used to make a casserole like this all the time, I will have to try again! My family has softened toward casseroles over the years, lol. Who can say no to tomatoey, cheesy pasta??
That cheese on top looks fabulous! What an easy and delicious meal!
You had me at gooey cheese! Impossible to resist!!!
When our younger daughter was born, my mom came to help out, along with an Italian American friend of hers. Lillian made her classic ziti bake for us and we loved it! Yours looks very much like her delicious dish. Thanks for the good memories!
You really just can’t go wrong with a baked pasta dish! So easy to make and is such comfort food!
An ideal meal to serve a crowd and best part is that it is so much easier than a lasagna. The cheese topping makes it so tempting.