Save this Easy Baked Ziti recipe for those busy weeks or weeknights, and it is sure to become a hit! The prep is so minimal (all you need to do is boil some pasta and cook some beef), and if you make enough, there should be some available for leftovers!
Pasta dishes are a weekly must in my household. So are easy recipes, since we always seem to be insanely busy… which I’m sure you all feel the same way! This meal checks both boxes ,and to make it even easier, you can prep or even bake the day before. Of course, if you want to, you can make this a little more complex and make your own Alfredo sauce and meat sauce. Homemade always tastes better, but if your target is a quick and easy meal, the jarred sauce enhanced with more spices can work great too!
If you have the time, make a double batch because it reheats so well and can make for even more leftovers and kids’ lunches!
Let’s walk through a few of the key ingredients, sides, and cooking tips to help you crush this meal and be the dinner time hero:
- The ground beef – There were a ton of comments from people on my video about draining the grease after cooking. I say go with your personal preference. When making chili or meat sauce, I sometimes keep the grease to add a little more flavor, but if that isn’t your style, that’s okay!
- Seasoning the sauce – Don’t let my video fool you, I definitely make sure to add my own seasonings to any store-bought sauce. If you don’t like to, I won’t judge. For me, I add about a teaspoon each of garlic powder, chili powder, and Italian seasoning. For those who like some heat, I also add in some red pepper flakes!
- Cheese and topping – You for sure need to add a healthy dose of shredded mozzarella. I always like to freshly shred off the block; it melts and tastes better. If you have it on hand, sprinkling in a little fresh Parmesan is a great addition as well. When you add the fresh basil, make sure to do it right as you take it out of the oven so it sticks into that bubbly cheese!
- Sides – As you can imagine, the sides are endless for this on, but I like to stick to the more traditional ones.
- Salad – Fresh greens, shaved parmesan, and some French dressing. Otherwise, a more traditional Caesar would work too!
- Garlic bread – I mean, why not add more carbs to the mix. 🙂
- Roasted Veggies – The best one here is Panko and Parmesan-crusted Brussels sprouts!
See below for full measurements and cooking instructions!
Equipment
- Baking dish
- Pot (For boiling)
- High-rimmed pot (For meat sauce)
Ingredients
- 16 oz pasta ziti or penne
- 1 lb ground beef
- Minced onion
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 24 oz marinara sauce + spices below
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 15 oz alfredo sauce
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
- Fresh basil
Instructions
- In a pot large enough for the pasta, boil water and add salt.
- Cook your ziti (or penne) until 2 minutes before the package says al dente.
- Strain, rinse with cold water, strain again, and set aside. This will keep it from cooking more.
- While the pasta is cooking, in a high rimmed pan, add the ground beef and minced onion, and season with salt and pepper.
- Break apart into pieces and cook fully through.
- If you prefer, pour out the grease and then add your favorite pasta sauce. I prefer to add more seasoning (garlic powder, Italian seasoning, chili powder, chili flakes), estimated measurements above! Give it a good stir and get ready to build!
- In the pot with your cooked pasta, pour in your favorite alfredo sauce and give it a good mix.
- In a greased baking dish, spread the Alfredo-coated pasta, add the meat sauce over the top, covering the pasta completely, and then top with the shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.
- Sprinkle on the freshly cut basil.
- Let cool for a few minutes and eat!
- Enjoy!
