Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce
Description
Other baked ziti recipes just don't compare to this five star recipe. It's simple to prepare, quick and so good, even your pickiest eaters will love it.
Ingredients
Meat Sauce:
1 lb. ground beef
2 T. olive oil
1 white onion, diced
8 oz. sliced mushrooms, optional
5 cloves minced garlic
6 oz. can tomato paste
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 T. dried basil
1 T. dried oregano
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. ground black pepper
1 lb. ziti pasta
Cheese Topping:
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
8 oz. Ricotta cheese
1 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
Sign In / Sign Up
Create, share, and connect with millions of people.Continue with Google
Continue with Apple
Continue with Email
Add olive oil to a large, deep skillet, over medium-high heat; add ground beef; brown for 5 minutes; discard excess grease. Add onions. Saute 5 - 7 minutes until onions are soft and translucent, and ground beef is cooked through.
Add garlic and tomato paste; cook 2 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Stir in basil, oregano, salt, and pepper; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low; simmer until pasta is ready.
Cook pasta in well salted boiling water, according to package directions.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Prepare the cheese topping in a small bowl by combining the cream cheese, Ricotta cheese, and Parmesan cheese; stir until smooth.
When the pasta is done, add it to the meat sauce; stir to combine. Pour it into the prepared baking dish. Spread the cheese mixture on top of the pasta.
Bake, uncovered 20 minutes until the cheese has melted and is bubbly.
Serve hot, garnished with freshly chopped parsley, if desired.
8 servings.