Easy Baked Ziti Recipe
Delicious and flavorful Baked Ziti recipe that your family will love! Simple ingredients and dynamic flavors combine to make this recipe an instant favorite.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 lb Italian sausage
- 16 ounces ziti
- 2 28 ounce cans crushed tomatoes
- 2 TBS tomato paste
- 1/2 cup merlot optional
- 1 bell pepper finely diced
- 1 onion finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 3 fresh basil leaves chiffonade
- 1 TBS oregano
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 15 oz ricotta cheese
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 cup parmesan cheese shredded or grated
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375°F
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Brown ground beef and sausage
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Drain off the fat
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Add in the onions, Bell peppers, and garlic and stir for 3 mins.
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Pour in the merlot.
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Simmer for 2 minutes.
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Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, oregano, fennel seeds, and half of the basil.
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Salt and pepper to taste
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Stir, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
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Prepare ziti according to package instructions
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Drain and mix with the sauce.
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Spray a 9×13 baking dish or lasagna pan with nonstick cooking spray.
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Pour half of the ziti and sauce mixture into the pan.
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Add half of the ricotta on top of the pasta and spread it out evenly.
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In a separate bowl, toss the mozzarella and parmesan together.
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Sprinkle half of the cheese mixture on top of the pasta.
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Pour in the rest of the pasta/sauce mix
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Then, add the rest of the ricotta in dollops.
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Sprinkle the remain cheese on top evenly.
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Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes.
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Garnish with the remaining chiffonade basil.
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Allow it to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.
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Enjoy!
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