Cheesy and Meaty Baked Pasta Recipe
A fatty, filling pasta dish that contains the perfect proportion of meat, cheese and spice.
Equipment
- 12x12 Baking dish
- Large pot
- Medium-Large pan
- Medium-Large Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 Bag Ziti pasta (12 oz) Uncooked
- 1 Lb Ground beef
- 12 oz Ricotta cheese
- 1 Yellow onion Diced
- 1 Egg
- 3 tsp Garlic Minced
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Freshly ground pepper
- 1 tsp Oregano Dried
- 2 Jars Spaghetti sauce (700g)
- 1 Package Italian cheese blend
Instructions
- Grease a large 12x12 baking dish (or something similar). Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- First you will cook your pasta. Fill a large pot with water; lightly salt. Once boiling, stir in your dry pasta, return to a boil, and cook around 7 minutes (until pasta is cooked through but still firm). Drain in a colander and set aside.
- Heat a large pan over medium heat, add your ground beef or sausage, and cook until browned. Drainy any excess fat, and set aside. (If your sausage is in a casing, squeeze it out of the casing and only cook the innards)
- In a large bowl, mix together the onion, egg, ricotta cheese, garlic, and oregano. Add the cooked pasta, the cooked meat, ½ cup of spaghetti sauce, salt and pepper, and mix until everything is well-incorporated
- In your prepared baking dish, start with a layer of spaghetti sauce, using about a ½ cup. Next layer will be half of your pasta & meat mixture. Spread everything out evenly until adding your next layer.
- Continue layering with ½ of your shredded cheese, then the remaining pasta comes next. Add another ½ cup of spaghetti sauce, and then the remaining cheese
- Cover your dish tightly with aluminum foil, and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. After this time, remove the aluminum foil, and cook for 10-15 minutes, until all cheese is completely melted.
- (Let your dish cool for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy with a green salad and a nice glass of red wine.)