Description
A simple and delicious baked ziti recipe with minimal ingredients, perfect for a quick weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound ziti pasta
- 1 (24 ounce) jar marinara sauce
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- (Optional) 1 pound ground beef or Italian sausage, browned and drained
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Cook ziti pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain well.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooked ziti, marinara sauce, and optional meat. Mix thoroughly to ensure all the pasta is coated with the sauce.
- Spread half of the pasta mixture into a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese and half of the Parmesan cheese over the pasta.
- Layer the remaining pasta mixture on top.
- Top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly, and the edges are golden brown.
- Let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- For a spicier kick, add red pepper flakes to the marinara sauce.
- You can substitute ricotta cheese for some of the mozzarella for a creamier texture.
- If you don’t have ziti, penne or rigatoni also work well.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 850mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 70mg