Easy Baked Ziti Recipe

baked ziti recipe in a bowl, ready to eat

4.67 from 3 votes

This Easy Baked Ziti is an Italian favorite, filled with homemade red sauce, ground beef and three cheeses and fresh basil. It’s such a yummy, cozy, perfect dish to serve for a holiday or a regular weeknight at home.

Prep Time25

Cook Time30

Cooling time5

Total Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: people

Calories: 387kcal

Author: The Carefree Kitchen

Ingredients

16 oz Ziti Pasta cooked al dente
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 medium Onion yellow or white; diced
1 Tablespoons Garlic minced
1 lb Ground Beef or Italian sausage
2 28-oz cans Spaghetti Sauce
to taste Salt
to taste Black Pepper
1 ½ Cups Mozzarella Cheese shredded
6-8 slices Provolone Cheese
1 ½ cups Sour Cream
½ Cup Parmesan Cheese grated
¼ Cup Fresh Basil chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook ziti pasta to "al dente," according to package, then set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat, then add the onion and garlic and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the onion begins to soften.
Add the ground beef to the skillet, browning over medium heat for about 5-8 minutes. Once the meat is almost completely cooked, add spaghetti sauce and simmer for about 5 minutes, then remove from the heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
In a lightly greased 9" x 13" baking dish, add about half of the cooked pasta. Top with half of the mozzarella cheese and the provolone slices. Spread the sour cream evenly on top of the cheeses.
Pour half of the meat and spaghetti sauce over the sour cream, then add the remaining pasta, the remaining sauce and the remaining mozzarella cheese. Finish by sprinkling the Parmesan cheese and fresh basil evenly over the top.
Bake in a preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the spaghetti sauce is bubbly and the cheese is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

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