One of my families favorite meals. It seems like a lot of steps, but it all comes together fairly easily. My picture actually features penne pasta (was out of ziti!), so really any smaller pasta shape can be used for this. This recipe makes alot, so you could cut the recipe in half for a smaller serving size...we usually just make the big batch so we have leftovers to snack on or have for lunch in upcoming days.
8-10 servings
Ingredients
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ziti noodles
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 jar pasta sauce (could use equivalent amount honemade)
to taste salt and pepper
to taste Italian seasoningt
o taste oregano
to taste basil
8 oz. ricotta cheese1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
parsley (for garnish)
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ziti noodles
1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 jar pasta sauce (could use equivalent amount honemade)
to taste salt and pepper
to taste Italian seasoningt
o taste oregano
to taste basil
8 oz. ricotta cheese1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
parsley (for garnish)
METHOD
- Start a large pot of water heating on high for the pasta. Add a dash of salt and olive oil to the water. While waiting for that to reach a boil, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil over medium heat in a large pan/skillet. Add the onions to it and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook a minute more, until fragrant.
- Once the water reaches a boil, add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. In the pan with the onion and garlic, add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink, breaking it apart as you cook. Drain out any excess fat. Once the noodles are done, drain them in a colander and set them aside.
- Add the diced tomatoes, seasonings and sauce into the pan with the meat and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes or so, then remove from heat.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large (9"x 13") baking dish with foil or spray with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- While the meat mix is simmering, in a large bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese.
- Add the pasta to the large bowl with the cheese and mix together, then add the meat mix. Once all combined, pour into the prepared baking dish and top with the remaining cup of mozzarella cheese. Cover the top with foil.
- Bake, covered, for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes. Refrigerate any leftovers.
Tags:
italian food