Easy Baked Ziti

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This Easy Baked Ziti is delicious and comfort food at its best. If you're looking for an easy meal for a busy weeknight, you'll want to make our ziti this week.

Prep Time5

Cook Time35

Total Time40

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 579kcal

Author: Kelly Stilwell

Equipment

Baking dish

Ingredients

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 pound ground beef (453 g)
1 small onion minced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 large tomato chopped
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 cups beef broth 25.36 fl.oz | 750 ml
1 cup half and half 8.84 fl.oz | 250 ml
1 ¼ cups uncooked ziti 6.17 oz | 175 g
2 cups freshly grated cheddar cheese (7.93 oz | 225 g
Parsley optional garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 F | 200 C. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add beef, onion and garlic. Cook beef for 3 minutes.
To make a tomato sauce, stir together tomato paste, chopped tomato, Italian seasoning, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook for 1 minute.
Pour beef broth and half and half in the soup pot. Bring to a simmer and add pasta.
Cook uncovered for about 13 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you like your pasta al dente, taste a piece at about 10 minutes. Decrease the heat if you see it’s cooking too fast.
Remove the pasta mixture from the heat and transfer half of the pasta to the casserole dish.
Top with half the cheese. Repeat. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the cheese melts. Turn oven to low broil and watch until the top is crisp and nicely golden brown.
Let the dish rest for five minutes or so. Garnish with parsley and serve right away with a side salad and rosemary garlic bread.

Notes

Taste as you go. Once the ground beef is cooked, taste to make sure the seasoning is right. As you add the tomatoes and other ingredients, taste again. You may be inspired to create something new by adding another herb or spice.

Try to make the time to shred your own cheese. Store bought shredded cheese has anti-caking agents so it doesn't stick together in the bag. This also gives the cheese a bit of a different texture and it doesn't melt as well.

Nutrition