About this recipe

A classic, crowd-pleasing baked ziti that's hearty, cheesy, and deeply satisfying. Tender ziti pasta is tossed with a rich meat sauce and creamy ricotta, then layered with mozzarella and baked until bubbly and golden. This is the kind of reliable, no-fuss recipe that feeds a hungry family and tastes even better the next day.

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat your oven to ![375°F]. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook the ziti pasta 2 minutes less than the package directions (it will finish cooking in the oven). Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain the pasta. Set aside.

2. 2

   Heat olive oil in a large skillet over ^[medium-high heat]. Add the ground beef and sweet Italian sausage. Break the meat up with a wooden spoon and cook until no pink remains, about 7–8 minutes. Drain excess fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan.

3. 3

   Reduce heat to ^[medium]. Add the diced yellow onion and cook until softened, about 4–5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute until fragrant.

4. 4

   Pour in the crushed tomatoes. Stir in the oregano, basil, red pepper flakes (if using), sugar, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors meld. Taste and adjust seasoning.

5. 5

   In a large mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, beaten egg, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, salt, and black pepper. Stir until smooth and well combined.

6. 6

   Add the drained pasta to the ricotta cheese mixture and toss to coat every piece. If the mixture seems dry, add a splash of the reserved pasta water.

7. 7

   Lightly grease a baking dish (9x13-inch). Spread about 1 cup of meat sauce on the bottom of the dish. Add half of the pasta-ricotta mixture in an even layer.

8. 8

   Spoon half of the remaining meat sauce over the pasta layer. Sprinkle with 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese.

9. 9

   Add the remaining pasta-ricotta mixture. Top with the rest of the meat sauce. Sprinkle the remaining 2 cups of mozzarella cheese evenly over the top, followed by the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese.

10. 10

    Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake at ![375°F] for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden brown in spots.

11. 11

    Remove from the oven and let the baked ziti pasta rest for 10 minutes before serving — this helps it hold together when scooping. Garnish with fresh basil and serve hot.