There's something comforting about cheesy baked pasta. It's the perfect weeknight dinner and makes great leftovers. Aside from lasagna, baked ziti is one of the most popular baked pasta recipes that are easy to put together and will be a hit with even your pickiest eaters. This baked ziti recipe uses a blend of three kinds of cheese to make it gooey and delicious. It is simple to make but tastes like it took hours of cooking in the kitchen. For a complete meal, serve it with a salad and buttered crusty Italian bread.
Baked Ziti Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 pound dry ziti pasta
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 (26 ounces each) jars spaghetti sauce
- 1 1/2 cups sour cream
- 6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain. Don't worry if your pasta isn't as soft as you'd like. The sauce will continue to cook it in the oven.
2. In a large skillet, brown chopped onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees C). Butter a 9×13 inch baking dish.
4. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted. Serve with a tossed salad and buttered italian rolls.
Save the leftovers covered in the fridge to enjoy for lunch or dinner the next day. In our opinion, pasta only gets better the next day! And if you're looking for more pasta recipes, try our baked spaghetti or classic bolognese lasagna.
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The image featured at the top of this post is ©Andrea Skjold Mink/Shutterstock.com.