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    Home » Pasta & Rice

    Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce

    Published: Oct 14, 2020 · Modified: Feb 13, 2024 by Tammy Circeo · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

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    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    When the weather starts cooling after the summer, baked dinners with cozy ingredients are definitely on my radar. Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce usually ranks near the top of the list what with the pasta, meat sauce and cheese and all the warmth that it brings!

    Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce being served

    A bit of baked pasta history

    Most people don't go researching baked pastas, but if you love reading cookbooks as much as I do, you won't find it unusual. In my reading, I found that pastas al forno date back to the late Middle Ages and Renaissance when they were baked in wood fired ovens, of course, and often served at banquets in the palazzos of nobles. It eventually caught on with Italians of every social class and varies from region to region. I tend to make it with the same ingredients each time and that is the recipe I give you ... with plenty of room to make it your own, of course! And if you have a wood-fired oven, you get extra points!

    Is meat sauce traditional?


    I would venture to say that it isn't traditional since, in Italy, pasta is usually a first course and meat follows later. However, perhaps a pasta al forno is considered a more substantial offering and would be served as a main course. At any rate, we can claim this as American Italian and lump it all in one dish, OK? I think our friends across the pond will forgive us. And if you'd like to make a simple red sauce, that's up to you, too!

    Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce is a labor of love!

    Admittedly, this is a labor of love so I recommend doing some prep work.

    • Make the meat sauce early, even 4-5 days! Or better yet, keep some in the freezer so you can make it when you want!
    • If you want to make homemade ricotta cheese, do it early. It keeps in the fridge for a good long while so no need to worry.
    • Grate the cheese and store in the fridge.
    Secret ingredients: bay leaf and parmesan rind

    I use my recipe ... Mama C's Meat Sauce for Spaghetti ... because there's no need to reinvent the wheel!

    The cheeses are ricotta cheese (my homemade ricotta makes this really special!), freshly grated parmiggiano-reggiano, and mozzarella. Mix the ricotta with the parmiggiano-reggiano and a couple of eggs.

    Bowl of ricotta cheese with grated parmiggiano-reggiano and a couple of eggs

    The process of layering the baked pasta

    I build my Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce by making two layers of all of the ingredients, reserving just a small amount of each ingredient for the top. I start by putting a bit of meat sauce in the bottom of the baking dish. This keeps the pasta from sticking to the dish.

    Meat Sauce layer first with cooked ziti, ricotta mixture, and mozzarella cheese

    Then I put a layer of pasta. Cover the bottom of the baking dish in a single layer. This should be a little more than a third of the pasta.

    Pasta choice

    If you don't eat gluten-free, use whatever pasta brand you like. The shape really doesn't matter ... ziti (hard to find!), penne (pictured), casarecce, fusilli. We eat gluten-free and the brand I like is Jovial, made in Lucca, Italy. It's a brown rice pasta made in the Italian tradition using local spring water and pressed through bronze dies which gives it a coarser exterior and allows the sauce to cling better.

    Pasta layer on top of meat layer

    Then a generous layer of meat sauce ...

    Meat sauce on top of pasta

    Next, comes a generous layer of ricotta cheese mixture ...

    Ricotta cheese layer on top of meat sauce

    And then grated mozzarella cheese ...

    Mozzarella cheese layer on top of ricotta cheese

    Repeat that layering once more and top it with the small amount of pasta left, the last of the sauce, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese.

    Repeat the layers till no pasta, meat sauce, and cheese is left

    Put the Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce in the oven at 350-degrees for about 30 minutes or until it is bubbling and the top is melted and golden.

    Baking dish of Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce with a serving removed

    Recipe

    Featured Image - Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce

    Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce

    Tammy Circeo
    Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce ranks near the top of the list of warm and cozy dishes. Pasta, meat, and melty cheese play important roles in this pasta al forno.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 1 hour hr
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Dinner
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 8 servings

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 recipe Mama C's Spaghetti & Meat Sauce Find the link in the post. See notes.
    • 1 recipe Homemade Ricotta Cheese Find the link in the post. See notes.
    • 2 eggs
    • 1 cup freshly grated Parmiggiano-Reggiano ¾ to mix with the ricotta cheese and eggs and ¼ for the top
    • 1 12-ounce package ziti, penne, fusilli, or casarecce I use Jovial gluten-free.
    • 4 cups grated mozzarella cheese

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 350°F.
    • Boil well-salted water and cook the pasta until it is just under done.
    • Mix the ricotta cheese with ¾ cup of grated Parmiggiano-Reggiano and 2 eggs.
    • Put a scant layer of meat sauce in the bottom of the baking dish to keep the pasta from sticking.
    • Add just over ⅓ of the pasta in a single layer. Add a generous layer of meat sauce. Spread ½ of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with grated mozzarella cheese.
    • Repeat the last instruction once more.
    • Put the remaining pasta, meat sauce, and mozzarella on top, then sprinkle the ¼ cup Parmiggiano-Reggiano over.
    • Place it in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until it is bubbly and golden on top.
    • Remove from the oven and allow it to set for about 15 minutes.

    Notes

    If you have your own recipe for Meat Sauce that you prefer, you should use that!
    And of course, you can buy a 16-ounce container of ricotta cheese instead of making it homemade. 
    Keyword baked ziti, baked ziti with meat sauce
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    I have always loved nurturing and feeding people. My cooking style is influenced by my Southern parents, time living in Europe, and the foods available in the Pacific Northwest, where I lived for over 20 years. I cook from scratch and strongly support local farms and producers, believing that food plays a pivotal role in our quality of life.

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