Baked Ziti with Ricotta

Ingredients

• 1 pound ziti pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound ground beef
• 24 ounces marinara sauce
• 15 ounces ricotta cheese
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Method

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the ziti until just shy of al dente, about 8 minutes.

   8:00 · Boil pasta
2. 2

   Drain the pasta and set aside, reserving a splash of pasta water.

3. 3

   In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onion until softened, about 4 minutes.

   4:00 · Sauté onion
4. 4

   Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

   0:30 · Cook garlic
5. 5

   Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it apart with a spoon, until browned and no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Drain excess fat.

   7:00 · Brown beef
6. 6

   Stir in the marinara sauce and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

   10:00 · Simmer sauce
7. 7

   In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, egg, Parmesan, parsley, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning until well combined.

8. 8

   In a large bowl, toss the cooked ziti with half of the meat sauce.

9. 9

   Spread a thin layer of the remaining sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.

10. 10

    Layer half the sauced pasta into the dish, dollop and spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the top, then add the remaining pasta.

11. 11

    Pour the remaining meat sauce over the top and sprinkle evenly with the shredded mozzarella.

12. 12

    Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

    20:00 · Bake covered
13. 13

    Remove the foil and bake until the cheese is melted and golden in spots, about 15 minutes more.

    15:00 · Bake uncovered
14. 14

    Let the baked ziti rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

    10:00 · Rest before serving