For a classic crowd-pleasing dinner that's simple to make, look no further than this easy Baked Ziti with Ground Beef.
If you browse the recipes in our Pasta or Casserole categories, you'll see that in our kitchen, red sauce, pasta, and ground beef is almost always a winning combination.
We keep our Stuffed Shells recipe ready to go for summer graduation parties, and we cozy up to our One Pot Lasagna Soup all winter long.
Why We Love Baked Ziti
Baked Ziti is a family favorite because the kids love a stretchy cheese pull and are always fans of the "tube noodles" (ziti). Meanwhile, we grown-ups appreciate the blend of Italian sausage and ground beef, and just how easy this recipe is to make.
At about an hour total, it may not win the crown for the fastest meal in the Italian section of our recipe cards (that probably goes to our Pasta Shells with Ground Beef), but on the difficulty scale, this one grades EASY. The hardest thing you'll have to do is chop an onion.
Plus it's very easy to customize and elevate with just a few minor tweaks. *More on that later.
Key Ingredients for Baked Ziti
Pasta- Ziti is a great choice for a saucy meaty casserole dish like this because it holds sauce and meat while still being fork-able. It also plays nice with a blanket of melted cheese and gets those nice toasty edges from the oven (*see below). Penne is fine as a substitute.
Ground Beef- Our favorite premium budget protein. 85/15 or leaner will save you some grease.
Italian Sausage- Ground Italian sausage mixes nicely with the beef in this Baked Ziti to add some flavor.
Onion and garlic- Sauteed with the meats, yellow onion and minced garlic adds some brightness and depth.
Other seasonings- Salt, pepper, and dry Italian seasoning blend (oregano, basil, parsley).
Marinara sauce- The sauce you use really matters in this dish. That doesn't mean you have to buy the $10 Raos or Mutti marinara. We also really like the flavor of Mid's Traditional or Paul Newman's Own Marinara. Just skip the Ragu on this one. Cheaper sauces tend to overwhelm you with artificial sweetness or fakey tasting tomato or herb flavors.
Cheeses- A bubbly, browned blanket of melty mozzarella cheese and provolone is KEY to this baked ziti. After serving out a scoop, we also like to top with some shredded Parmesan cheese and a light sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes (*optional).
How to Make Baked Ziti with Ground Beef
Step 1: Cook Pasta - Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. Boil a large pot of salted water and add the ziti noodles. Cook the ziti noodles 2 minutes less than the package directs. Drain the pasta, and place into the casserole dish with a drizzle of olive oil.
Step 2: Brown Meat - In a deep large skillet heat a teaspoon of olive oil over medium high heat. Add onions, sausage, and ground beef, breaking meats apart and spreading them evenly in the pan with the spoon. Cook for several minutes until beef begins to brown. Stir and continue to cook until onions are softened and all pink is gone from the meat (about 4-5 minutes).
Step 3: Meat Sauce - Add minced garlic and saute until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Drain excess fat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add marinara sauces to the pan and bring to a simmer. Stir in half and half, Italian seasoning, and Parmesan cheese.
Step 4: Combine - Pour the meat and tomato sauce mixture over the pasta and toss well in the casserole dish to combine.
Step 5: Top With Cheese - Layer on the shredded mozzarella and provolone cheeses.
Step 6: Bake - Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake another 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted, browned, and casserole is bubbly. Top with fresh basil and serve hot.
Tips and FAQs
This baked ziti pairs perfectly with some garlic bread, and a simple green salad like this easy garden salad, or our creamy caesar salad.
For casseroles, NO! Pasta noodles continue to soften as they are cooked in the baking dish, so make sure to subtract 2 minutes from the on package directions when you're boiling them. If you boil your ziti until it's al dente, then the added time in the oven will overcook it, and it will turn to mush.
Did you follow our advice to under boil the pasta by 2 minutes? See above. If so, it's possible that there was too much moisture in your dish from excess fat (*drain more off next time, or use leaner meats), or from an excessively watery marinara sauce. See our recommended sauces above in the Ingredients section.
Yes. Foil coverage is key! Baked ziti is a recipe of simple flavors, but what really makes it shine is how well that cheese topping is cooked. If you don't use any foil, the cheese will completely brown up and dry out too much. BUT... covered the whole time with foil, you won't get any browned bubbly bits! The perfect cheese should be melty, stretchy, and dotted with golden brown.
You may have to adjust the covered-with-foil cook time to achieve your ideal results, or move your casserole dish around to center it in your oven (away from any hot-spots). If just the cheese is under cooked, but the pasta is good, broil that baby for a minute or two, or bust out the browning torch.
Baked ziti makes great leftovers. Store in an airtight container (or cover your casserole dish with plastic wrap) and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, reheating individual potions in the microwave or the entire dish in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes.
Baked ziti is "freezer friendly." To make ahead, follow our instructions through step 6, allow ingredients to cool completely, double wrap with saran wrap and then foil and freeze for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or bake from frozen.
To bake a frozen casserole, cover it with foil, and place it in the oven while the oven preheats. Add about 20 minutes to the baking time, uncovering the casserole for the last 15 minutes.
Variations and Similar Recipes
With classic ingredients like these you're really only one or two substitutions away from this Tortellini Bake recipe or our Cheesy Baked Spaghetti.
A little cream cheese and cottage cheese transforms this into our Cheesy Company Casserole, and during the summer you might even try swapping out the pasta in order to use up your abundance of zucchini in this Zucchini Casserole with Hamburger recipe.
Add corn, green chilies, and some Tex Mex toppings and you've got Taco Pasta Casserole.
Or put garlic bread chunks and pepperonis in the mix for an Easy Pizza Casserole!
📖 Recipe
Baked Ziti with Ground Beef
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ziti
- Olive oil (to coat)
- 1 lb ground beef
- ½ lb ground Italian sausage
- 1 small yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper (to taste)
- 2 jars marinara sauce
- ½ cup Half and half
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup shredded provolone cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish.
- Boil a large pot of salted water and add the ziti noodles. Cook them 2 less minutes than the package directs. Drain the pasta, and place into the casserole dish with a drizzle of olive oil.
- In a deep large skillet heat a teaspoon of olive oil over medium high heat. Add onions, sausage, and ground beef, breaking meats apart and spreading them evenly in the pan with the spoon. Cook for several minutes until beef begins to brown. Stir and continue to cook until onions are softened and all pink is gone from the meat (about 4-5 minutes).
- Add minced garlic and saute until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Drain excess fat and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Add marinara sauces to the pan and bring to a simmer. Stir in half and half, Italian seasoning, and Parmesan cheese.
- Pour the meat and tomato sauce mixture over the pasta and toss well in the casserole dish to combine. Layer on the shredded mozzarella and provolone cheeses.
- Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake another 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted, browned, and casserole is bubbly. Top with fresh basil and serve hot.
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