Description
This Million Dollar Baked Ziti is loaded with layers of creamy ricotta, mozzarella, beefy marinara, and tender pasta — a rich, cheesy baked pasta that tastes like a million bucks.
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients
- 16 oz ziti pasta
- 1 lb ground beef or Italian sausage
- 1 jar (24 oz) marinara sauce
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup cottage cheese or cream cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: chopped parsley or basil
Instructions
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Cook ziti according to package directions. Drain.
- Brown ground beef in a skillet and drain excess fat.
- Stir in marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- In a bowl, mix ricotta, cottage cheese (or cream cheese), and 1 cup mozzarella.
- Spread half of the ziti in a greased baking dish.
- Top with half of meat sauce, then cheese mixture.
- Repeat layers and finish with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Bake uncovered for 25–30 minutes until bubbly and golden.
Notes
Let rest 10 minutes before slicing. Add spinach or mushrooms for extra flavor.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Casserole
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 580
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 820mg
- Fat: 32g
- Saturated Fat: 16g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 48g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 95mg
Keywords: million dollar baked ziti, cheesy baked pasta, ziti casserole, italian comfort food