BAKED ZITI Pasta!🍅 || Step by Step Recipe

ricotta cheese

🥗Healthier: cottage cheese

💰Cheaper: cream cheese

Cottage cheese is lower in fat and provides a similar texture.

ground beef

🥗Healthier: ground turkey

💰Cheaper: ground pork

Ground turkey is leaner, while ground pork can be less expensive.

mozzarella cheese

🥗Healthier: part-skim mozzarella

💰Cheaper: provolone cheese

Part-skim mozzarella reduces calories while provolone can be more affordable.

Parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: grated Pecorino Romano

Nutritional yeast is dairy-free and adds a cheesy flavor.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Once boiling, add salt and then the ziti pasta, undercooking it by about 2 minutes.

Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water towards the end of cooking the pasta.

In a separate skillet, add olive oil and Italian salami, cooking until crispy, then remove it from the pan.

In the same skillet, add ground beef, spreading it out to form a thin crust, and cook for about 3 minutes before mixing.

Add half of a yellow onion to the skillet and cook until the onion is softened.

Add 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning, a pinch of crushed red pepper, and black pepper, cooking until the meat is fully cooked.

Remove excess fat from the skillet if necessary.

Add garlic to the skillet and cook until fragrant before adding one can of whole peeled tomatoes and one can of crushed tomatoes.

Season the sauce with 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning and 1 tablespoon of sugar to cut acidity, breaking down the whole tomatoes as you mix.

Re-add the crispy Italian salami and the reserved pasta water, mixing well and simmering for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Add the cooked ziti pasta to the sauce, mixing gently to combine without breaking the pasta.

In a bowl, mix one small container of ricotta cheese, 1 egg, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, black pepper, and about 1 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese until well combined.

In a baking dish, add a thin layer of sauce at the bottom, then half of the pasta and meat mixture, followed by half of the ricotta mixture in dollops.

Add shredded mozzarella cheese, then repeat the layers with the remaining pasta and meat mixture, ricotta mixture, and top with about 2 cups of shredded mozzarella and more Parmesan cheese.

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

Bake for about 35 minutes until crispy and golden.

Let cool for about 15 minutes before serving.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens