• naturalLiving
  • activitiesfor kids
  • Easyrecipes
  • yourhome
  • just formoms
  • Start Here
  • About
  • Start Here
  • About
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Shop
  • Natural Living
    • Essential Oils
    • Natural Homemade Ideas
    • Natural Solutions
  • Activities for Kids
    • Arts and Crafts
    • Playdough and Slime
    • Sensory Activities
  • Recipes
  • For Your Home
    • Backyard Chickens
    • Easy DIY Projects & Crafts
    • Organizing Tips
    • Tips and Hacks
  • For Moms
    • Caring for Yourself
    • Parenting
    • Product Reviews
    • Travel
  • About
  • Start Here
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • SHOP
↑

Living Well Mom

Simple, easy, and natural ways to care for your family.

  • naturalLiving
  • activitiesfor kids
  • Easyrecipes
  • yourhome
  • just formoms
  • Start Here
  • About
  • Home
  • Seasonal
  • Essential Oils
  • Natural Solutions
  • Autism

Simply Baked Ziti

By Erika in Dinner

gluten-free optionThis post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Jump to Recipe

If you are looking for a hearty dish of comfort food, this baked ziti with ricotta is it! Tender ziti pasta is layered with ground beef, two types of cheese, and a simple pasta sauce. Add a pinch of fresh basil to the top and you have a meal your kids will fight over!

Baked ziti with ricotta in a baking dish topped with fresh basil this idea now...

Summer is here and I’ve been looking forward to a change of pace after a busy school year. Not that it will slow down much though – between summer camps, beach trips, long 16-hour drives to Grandma & Grandpa’s house, home renovation projects, and more, summer always flies by far too quickly!

This summer, I’m looking for recipes that are tasty, easy to make, and will bring my family together. Like this baked ziti with ricotta!

Baked Ziti with Ricotta

baking dish with baked ziti with ricotta and a basil leaf on top

This easy baked ziti is a hearty pasta dish that I’ve been making for longer than I can remember. With simple ingredients, this kid-friendly dinner takes about 20 minutes to prepare (with another hands-free 45 minutes in the oven), but it tastes like I’ve spent hours cooking on the stove!

easy baked ziti on a white plate with a fork

My whole family loves baked ziti and I love that this recipe makes a LOT. It makes enough to easily feed my family of six for two meals. An easy meal for two nights that everyone gobbles up? (Even my sometimes picky children?!) It’s a winner for any family!

a forkful of easy baked ziti

Baked Ziti with Meat

As delicious as this meal is, it’s also filled with good-for-you protein too. This recipe calls for 2 pounds of ground beef, and that’s how I (and my family!) like it best. But, if you are trying to be a little more healthy conscious, you can swap it out for ground turkey or chicken.

I’ve also tried this baked ziti with meat using ground sausage and it was delicious!

If you want to stretch your grocery budget a little, you can also cut down on the meat used. Instead of 2 pounds of ground beef, using just one works fine too.

The Perfect Freezer Meal

I have to add that because this is such a tasty, easy to make dinner, this is my go-to recipe whenever I make a meal for someone in need. Whether it’s a family with a new baby or a friend recovering from surgery, this pasta dish is always well received. I will even bring two of these sometimes – one frozen version and a baked one so they have two meals at their disposal! 

This baked ziti with ricotta also works well as a freezer meal. I will often double, or triple the recipe when I make this for my own family too, particularly if ground beef is on sale.

Should you freeze baked ziti before or after baking?

Baked ziti, just like any pasta casserole, should be frozen after you assemble the dish but before baking. So, layer the dish as described in the recipe card below, then instead of putting it in the oven, put it in the freezer. Easy peasy!

Baked ziti in a casserole dish

How to Make Baked Ziti with Ricotta

I’ll show you just how easy it is to make this tasty recipe.

(Note: this recipe makes a lot, so you can half the ingredients and use an 8×8″ pan for a smaller amount.)

Start by cooking the ziti pasta according to the package directions.

Cook the ground beef over medium heat until it’s fully cooked and no longer pink.

Stir in the pasta sauce and warm for a few minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally.

ground beef cooking

In the meantime, mix the eggs, ricotta cheese, 1.5 cups of mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese in a large bowl.

stirring ricotta cheese

Drain the pasta, add to the cheese mixture, and gently toss. (The hot pasta will melt the cheese together.)

melted cheese and ziti

Spoon a third of the meat sauce into the bottom of a 9x13x2″ baking dish.

meat sauce in casserole dish

Top with half the pasta mixture.

layout of printable recipe binder pages
layered cheesy pasta on top of meat sauce for baked ziti

Spoon half of the remaining meat mixture on the pasta.

meat sauce and cheesy ziti layers

Top with the rest of the cheesy pasta.

ziti noodles on top of meat sauce

Add the remaining meat sauce and spread on top, leaving a little room at the edges.

baked ziti with meat before going in the oven

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and bake for 5-10 more minutes until it’s melted.

baked ziti on a plate

Let stand for 10-15 minutes before serving, and enjoy!

More Dinner Recipes to Try:

  • Easy Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes
  • Tasty Chicken and Rice Casserole
  • The Best Easy Taco Pizza Dinner
  • Easy Beef and Bean Enchiladas
Print

Simply Baked Ziti

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

A hearty family favorite meal that’s great for any time of the year, Simply Baked Ziti is easy to make and simply delicious.

  • Author: Erika Bragdon
  • Prep Time: 20
  • Cook Time: 45
  • Total Time: 65

Ingredients

Scale
  • 16 ounces ziti pasta
  • 2 pounds ground beef*
  • 2 (24 oz each) jars of pasta sauce
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 carton (15 oz) ricotta cheese
  • 2.5 cups (10 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • fresh basil (optional)

Instructions

  1. Start by cooking the ziti pasta according to the package directions.
  2. Cook the ground beef over medium heat until it’s fully cooked and no longer pink. Stir in the pasta sauce and warm for a few minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally.
  3. In the meantime, mix the eggs, ricotta cheese, 1.5 cups of mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese in a large bowl. Drain the pasta, add to the cheese mixture, and gently toss. (The hot pasta will melt the cheese together.)
  4. Spoon a third of the meat sauce into the bottom of a 9x13x2″ baking dish and top with half the pasta mixture. Repeat layers, topping with meat sauce last, leaving a little room at the edges.
  5. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and bake for 5-10 more minutes until it’s melted.
  6. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • *You can use 1 pound of ground beef to save money

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 10

Pin the image below to save this recipe for later!

a plate of baked ziti with meat on a plate with a fork

Dear mom, I have so much more I’d love to share with you…

Fill out this form to join the Living Well Mom email community and receive the best of the best for your family’s journey to living well!
    *Note: ↑ this form does not give you a freebie. If you are looking for a free printable or other freebie, scroll back up to the rest of the post and use the other form.

    Filed Under: Dinner, Recipes Tagged With: gluten-free optionPublished on February 19, 2021

    You May Also Love

    Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe (Kid-Approved!)
    a close up of some deviled eggs
    Best Ever Deviled Eggs With Miracle Whip
    Homemade Almond Butter Cups {5-Minute Dessert!}

    About Erika

    Erika Bragdon is a second-generation homeschooling mom with 3 kids at home and 1 in college. She lives in the beautiful hills of New Hampshire on a small farm and loves writing, baking, nature, and sharing flower essences and more natural solutions with moms.

    Comments

    1. Melissa says

      June 5, 2015 at 10:50 am

      I love baked ziti but it’s been awhile since I’ve made it. I think I’ll make it this weekend!

      Reply
    2. Robin Rue (@massholemommy) says

      June 5, 2015 at 11:31 am

      That sounds delicious. I can’t wait to make this for my family!

      Reply
    3. Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle says

      June 5, 2015 at 11:44 am

      That looks simply fantastic! The thing I love abut baked ziti is that it’s essentially lasagna that’s much easier to eat. Yum!

      Reply
    4. Vicky says

      June 5, 2015 at 3:09 pm

      Have never put eggs in my baked ziti, will have to try it. You also layer it like lasagna also a neat idea.

      Reply
    5. Lena Burkut says

      June 5, 2015 at 4:55 pm

      Oh yum! I am hungry and could so go for this right now

      Reply
    6. Amanda says

      June 5, 2015 at 5:10 pm

      I absolutely love a good baked ziti and the fact you used bertolli… YUM!!!! It’s on my list of dinners for next week.

      Reply
    7. Meagan says

      June 5, 2015 at 5:46 pm

      We eat a lot of pasta at our house! Going to have to try this baked ziti! Looks simple yet delicious!

      Reply
    8. Nicole B says

      June 5, 2015 at 6:01 pm

      This baked ziti looks so delicious in your pictures. I’m sure it tastes good too. My family loves pasta, I’ll give this recipe a try.

      Reply
    9. Amber Edwards says

      June 5, 2015 at 8:27 pm

      Oh how I adore Bertoli sauce! And this baked ziti just looks absolutely delicious! I want a bit right now!

      Reply
    10. Danielle H says

      June 5, 2015 at 9:46 pm

      This looks amazing. My girls and I are pasta-holics, haha. This would definitely get devoured in our house.

      Reply
    11. Ann Bacciaglia says

      June 5, 2015 at 9:52 pm

      This looks so delicious. I have never made anything like this before. I will have to try this recipe this weekend. I am sure the kids will love it.

      Reply
    12. Debi- Lifestyle Blogger says

      June 6, 2015 at 8:44 am

      That looks so good. I love baked pasta. I cold eat it every night.

      Reply
    13. Cathy @ Our Mini Family says

      June 6, 2015 at 10:08 pm

      Your baked ziti looks bomb!! Gotta try it–pinning for later!

      Reply
    14. Karla says

      November 19, 2016 at 10:22 am

      Im new to cooking. If i want to make this the day before, at what point do i put it in the refrigerator? Is it fine (considering eggs and all) if i stick it in the fridge rather than oven and pop it in the oven the next day? Also would cooking time be the same if its been in the fridge and cold? Please help!

      Reply
      • Nancy says

        November 20, 2016 at 10:45 pm

        Prepare it all, just don’t bake. Put it in your frig till the next day. I would say, take it out of the frig 30+minutes at least to just sit on your counter. Then bake it. Depending how cold it is, going in, it might take a bit longer. I made it tonight and its delish. Good luck learning to cook 🙂 This is a very simple recipe to follow
        . Your family/friends will be impressed!

        Reply
        • Karla says

          November 24, 2016 at 12:11 pm

          Thank you so much for your reply ! Iam preparing the ingredients now 🙂

          Reply
    15. Nancy says

      November 20, 2016 at 10:39 pm

      Made this tonight. Its very yummy. The only thing I did different, I used 1 lb ground beef with about 1/2 lb Italian sausage. Its creamy, not dry. Husband said he liked it because it’s cheesey. Thanks for the recipe. It will be my go to recipe for Ziti. 🙂

      Reply
    16. Tammy says

      August 22, 2022 at 8:25 am

      I actually made this recipe as opposed to most who review and did NOT! Pet peeve…sorry.
      Great ziti recipe, kind of like lasagna really, but easier. I did use homemade meat sauce that had shrooms and bell peppers, it turned out delicious. And, I froze a tray for another time.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Erika says

        September 12, 2022 at 12:34 pm

        I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Tammy! Thanks for leaving your feedback 🙂

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

    Erika Bragdon sitting on a bench drinking a drink out of her mug

    Welcome! I’m Erika and I’m the creator behind Living Well Mom.

    More About Erika

    The Latest

    • Free Travel I Spy Printable For Road Trips
    • Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe (Kid-Approved!)
    • How to Tell Hens and Roosters Apart: Rooster vs Hen Differences
    • Best Ever Deviled Eggs With Miracle Whip
    • Get A Clean Glass Stove Top (With This Easy Secret)

    Trending now…

    • playdough in a container How to Make the Easiest Homemade Playdough Recipe {Lasts for Months!}
    • Taco Pizza is a great as an easy family dinner (you can even make it the night before) or a tasty appetizer. Kids love this recipe and the cream cheese/sour cream “sauce” and spicy taco flavor are a hit with adults too.The Best Easy Taco Pizza Recipe
    • homemade macaroni and cheese on plateKid-Friendly Easy Homemade Mac and Cheese Recipe
    • Chicken and rice casserole in a casserole dish on a tableTasty Chicken and Rice Casserole (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
    • putting liquid homemade dish soap on a spongeEasy Grease-Cutting Homemade Dish Soap with 3 Ingredients
    • Close up of a bowl of energy balls with peanut butterPeanut Butter Date Energy Balls
    • Home
    • Seasonal
    • Essential Oils
    • Natural Solutions
    • Autism

    Living well is a journey not a destination

    copyright ©2023, Living Well Mom. / Site by Pixel Me Designs
    Privacy PolicyTerms & ConditionsDisclaimer
    631 shares