Best Baked Ziti With Ricotta
The ultimate Italian comfort food pasta. This baked ziti recipe with ricotta cheese makes a cheesy, satisfying dinner smothered in tomato sauce and meatballs.
Servings: 6 to 8 people
Ingredients
- 1 pound ziti or rigatoni pasta
- 12 to 18 meatballs (recipe follows)
- 2 quarts marinara sauce
- 16 ounces (2 cups) ricotta cheese
- 1 1/2 cup shredded, low-moisture mozzarella (not fresh), divided
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup grated pecorino-Romano cheese, plus more to garnish
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh-cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Gently heat the meatballs and marinara together.
- Boil the pasta in a pot of well-salted water to very al dente. Drain.
- While the pasta is cooking, mix together in a large mixing bowl the ricotta cheese, 1 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella, egg, parsley, salt, pepper, and garlic.
- Stir the pasta and 1 cup of tomato sauce into the cheese mixture.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 8" x 12" casserole or similar. Spoon one or two cups of tomato sauce into the bottom of the casserole. Add the pasta and cheese mixture and spread evenly in the casserole. Spoon an additional two cups of tomato sauce on top of the ziti. Top with the remaining 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella.
- Bake, covered with foil, for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes. Serve hot with more meatballs and sauce.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information is provided for courtesy purposes only, and is an estimate not verified by medical or nutrition experts. Read the full nutrition disclaimer.
