Meaty Baked Ziti

This baked ziti recipe takes a little time to make, but it's worth it in the end! This meat sauce is way better than a jar sauce, and I use it for other Italian recipes as well. You can also make the sauce ahead of time and store it in the fridge for a few days until you are ready to eat it.

• Preparation Time: 25 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 35 mins
• Total Time: 2 hr
• Calories: 593 Calories

Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 (16 ounce) package ziti pasta
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes with juice
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 (15 ounce) container whole-milk ricotta cheese
• ½ cup diced white onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, or to taste
• 1 pound bulk mild Italian sausage
• 12 slices provolone cheese
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans tomato sauce

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Step 2

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook and stir sausage and ground beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Add tomato sauce, whole tomatoes with juice, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, basil, sugar, and red pepper flakes; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Turn off the heat. Transfer 3 cups sauce to a bowl and leave remaining sauce in the pot; allow to cool while you prepare ziti.

Step 3

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain ziti and rinse under cool water to stop it from cooking.

Step 4

Combine ricotta, 2 cups mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, 2 tablespoon parsley, and pepper in a bowl; stir together with a few turns but do not mix completely. Pour drained ziti into the bowl and toss until slightly combined with large lumps. Add the reserved 3 cups meat sauce and toss to combine.

Step 5

Place 1/2 of the pasta mixture into a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Spoon 1/2 of the remaining sauce over top, layer with 6 slices of provolone and 1 cup mozzarella. Repeat layers: pasta mixture, remaining sauce, 6 slices provolone, and 1 cup mozzarella. Cover with foil.

Step 6

Place on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven until bubbling, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake until cheese is fully melted and slightly browned, 5 to 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with parsley. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.