Description

This No Boil Baked Ziti has a classic taste, with marinara, ground beef and three types of cheese all baked up together, but with a streamlined process that'll make getting this beloved pasta dish on the table fast.

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 cup ricotta cheese
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
1 egg
1 lb. ground beef, ground turkey or ground sausage, cooked (see notes)
1 lb. ziti
1 (32 ounce) jar of marinara sauce (or 3-1/2 cups homemade)
2-1/2 to 3 cups water or chicken broth (see note)
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
Add the ricotta, 1/2 cup of parmesan, and the egg to a small bowl and whisk together until well combined.
Place a 9x13 baking pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Add the cooked ground beef, uncooked ziti, marinara, 2-½ cups water, pinch of salt, Italian seasoning and 1 cup of shredded mozzarella to the baking pan. Mix until well combined. Make sure most of the pasta is submerged. If not, add up to ½ cup more water until it is.
Dollop heaping tablespoons of the ricotta mixture into the ziti ingredients. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup parmesan on top.
Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil, and transfer the rimmed baking sheet and baking pan to the oven.
Bake for 40 minutes.
Remove the foil from the pan, sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of shredded mozzarella on top of the pasta dish and return to the oven to bake for 10 more minutes, or until the cheese is melted as desired.
Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. The sauce will thicken up during this time. Serve with additional parmesan cheese if desired.

Notes

Use a good quality store-bought marinara (I love Rao’s) or use homemade! Just make sure it’s well seasoned.

Baking this in a baking pan on top of a baking sheet is to prevent anything from bubbling over and scorching the bottom of your oven. While nothing ever bubbled over during the testing phase, it’s better to be safe than sorry with baked pasta dishes!

Depending on the type of pan you use, and the type of pasta, you may not need all 3 cups of added water/chicken broth. Start with 2-½ cups, and after everything is mixed together, see if all the pasta is submerged (a few pieces barely sticking out is ok). If needed, add more water to ensure the pasta is submerged, up to 3 cups total.