Classic Baked Ziti

"This baked ziti recipe is a simple Italian casserole dish that my family enjoys."
 
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photo by SharonChen photo by SharonChen
photo by SharonChen
photo by Vanessa L. photo by Vanessa L.
photo by onesweetsin27 photo by onesweetsin27
photo by SharonChen photo by SharonChen
photo by HEATHER H. photo by HEATHER H.
Ready In:
50mins
Ingredients:
9
Serves:
8-10
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ingredients

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directions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • In a large skillet, cook ground beef, onions, and garlic over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until beef is browned; stirring frequently.
  • Stir in spaghetti sauce, chicken broth, and oregano.
  • Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Stir 1 cup of the sauce into the cooked ziti noodles.
  • Spoon 1/2 of the ziti mixture into a 13x9x2-inch baking dish.
  • Sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.
  • Top with 2 cups sauce, then remaining ziti mixture and remaining sauce.
  • Cover and bake 20 minutes.
  • Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
  • Return to oven and bake uncovered for 10 minutes or until heated through.

Questions & Replies

  1. Why is chicken broth listed in the ingredients? Don't most ziti recipes have ricotta or cottage cheese or cream cheese in them?
     
  2. Has anyone made this a day ahead and put in frig overnight?
     
  3. How long would you cook this if it is premade in the morning and sits in the fridge all day? Thank you!
     
  4. Add the entire jar of spaghetti sauce with the chicken broth and oregano. Once that has simmered when the term 'sauce' is used it is the combination of everything. Hope this answers your question :)
     
  5. How much sauce do you mix in with the beef at the beginning?
     
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Reviews

  1. You know, I had never had baked ziti before - even eating out. I found this recipe when I was "on the prowl" for something totally different a couple of nights ago. Followed the recipe to a tee (except I subbed salt-free homemade meatless sauce and low-sodium chicken broth so that I could enjoy it without feeling guilty!) and BINGO! I was in business. Served it with a very crisp green salad topped with very spicy Greek olive oil dressing and my homemade sourdough croutons, and it was a meal to remember.
     
  2. Delicious. I added lots of sliced mushrooms with the mince because I love them. I will make this again many times.
     
  3. This was another great dish. Made plenty, ate the leftovers the next day, it tasted even better if that is possible.
     
  4. This was very good..my family loved it..definitely filled a 9 x 13 pan..thanks for sharing this recipe.
     
  5. I made this tonight and followed Miller's lead using homemade meat sauce (only kind I had). I don't know if it was the addition of the chicken stock, but this was just delicious. I thought that the proportion of sauce/liquid to pasta was perfect, and reducing either would have resulted in a skimpy dish. I was careful to leave the boiled pasta undercooked so that by the time it came out of the oven it still had some bite to it. Thank you for a wonderful recipe, we'll make it often!
     
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Tweaks

  1. I had been using another web site that recommended using cottage cheese instead of ricotta. I used it tonight to make this and it tasted great.
     
  2. This was quite good. I used penne instead of ziti and made my own sauce. There is no amount given for the mozzarella. Near as I can tell, you need 3 cups.
     
  3. With whole wheat penne pasta instead of ziti pasta. Fantastic!
     
    • Review photo by R Register
  4. I enjoyed this recipe. It was very easy to prepare. I was surprised by the addition of chicken broth. I think it gave the "prepared sauce" more of a home made flavor. The recipe makes a big dish of food so it's great for feeding a crowd. I used ground sirloin instead of hamburger and added a little olive oil to cook the sirloin and the onions.
     
  5. I used two pounds of ground beef instead of one and some homemade sauce my husband made over the summer, and subbed egg noodles for ziti. Did not have as much mozzarella as I though so had to use a lot of monterey jack, but it still turned out fabulous!
     

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

I live in to Jacksonville, FL with my husband, 2 daughters (17 and 11), 4 cats, and 2 dogs. My favorite things to make are cookies/bars and pound cakes. I have had a great time cooking since discovering Recipezaar January 2002. This is a picture of my youngest cat, Lily. She is my sweet sweet little baby.
 
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