Baked Ziti Ground Beef Mozzarella (Printable)

Layered ziti with ground beef, tomato sauce, ricotta, and melted mozzarella cheese.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 1 pound ziti pasta

→ Meat

02 - 1 pound ground beef (80-85% lean)

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

03 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced

→ Sauce

05 - 24 ounces jar tomato pasta sauce (marinara or tomato basil)
06 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
07 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
08 - 1 teaspoon dried basil
09 - ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
10 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ Cheese

11 - 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
12 - 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
13 - 1 cup ricotta cheese

→ Other

14 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
15 - Fresh basil leaves for garnish (optional)

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook ziti until just al dente, about 7 to 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 additional minute.
04 - Add ground beef to the skillet, breaking it up with a spoon. Cook until browned and no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary.
05 - Stir in tomato paste, tomato pasta sauce, oregano, basil, crushed red pepper flakes (if using), salt, and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes to meld flavors.
06 - In a bowl, combine ricotta cheese with half of the Parmesan cheese and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
07 - Spread half of the cooked ziti in the prepared baking dish. Top with half of the meat sauce, dollop half of the ricotta mixture, then sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese.
08 - Add remaining ziti, meat sauce, ricotta mixture, and finish with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
09 - Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
10 - Remove foil and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden.
11 - Let the dish rest for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh basil leaves if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It actually gets better if you assemble it the night before, which means less stress on cooking day.
  • The three cheeses create this unexpected richness that makes people ask for the recipe before they're even finished eating.
  • One dish, minimal cleanup, and it feeds a crowd without making you feel like you've been standing at the stove all day.
02 -
  • Cook the pasta slightly under al dente because it will soften more during baking—overcooked pasta becomes mushy and sad.
  • The 10-minute rest after baking is not optional if you want clean, beautiful slices instead of a runny casserole spreading across the plate.
  • Don't use pre-shredded mozzarella that's been coated with cellulose; it won't melt smoothly and you'll end up with a grainy texture instead of that creamy layer.
03 -
  • If your mozzarella isn't melting smoothly and you're seeing graininess, you likely have the pre-shredded kind with cellulose—grate your own next time and the texture becomes silky.
  • Draining excess fat from the cooked beef isn't just about health; it prevents the casserole from getting greasy-tasting and lets the actual flavors shine through instead.

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