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Horizontal image of a baked ziti casserole in a white baking dish on a red and white checkered towel.

Easy Cheesy Baked Ziti


  • Author: Meghan Yager
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 6-8 servings 1x

Description

Easy cheesy baked ziti will make everyone think you’ve been cooking for hours, but it’s actually shockingly simple to whip up.


Ingredients

Scale
  • Cooking oil spray
  • 1 box uncooked ziti (1 pound)
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 3/4 cups alfredo sauce
  • 3 cups spaghetti sauce
  • 2 cups shredded low-moisture mozzarella cheese (8 ounces)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Spray a 13-by-9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. Cook ziti in boiling water according to package directions. 
  3. While the ziti is cooking, place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add ground beef and cook until browned, breaking up any large chunks with a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes.
  4. Drain any excess liquid from the skillet. Add spaghetti sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes, until the meat is fully coated and sauce is heated through. 
  5. Drain ziti in a colander and return to the pot. Stir in alfredo sauce to thoroughly coat the pasta and set aside.
  6. Add enough meat sauce to just cover the bottom of the dish, about 1 1/4 cups. Add half of the cooked ziti and spread evenly over the sauce. Add half of the remaining meat sauce and spread evenly. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Add the remaining ziti in an even layer on top, then top with remaining meat sauce, spreading it to cover the pasta. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
  7. Bake for 20 minutes, until the top is bubbly and golden brown. Serve with a salad and crusty French bread.
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: Pasta
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: Casserole

Keywords: ziti, casserole, pasta, ground beef, cheese, baked