Baked Ziti with Ground Beef 25 min prep

You know that feeling when you just need dinner to be *easy* but also totally satisfying? Those heavy, cheesy, soul-warming meals that feel like a big hug? That’s exactly what this recipe for Baked Ziti with Ground Beef delivers. Honestly, it’s the ultimate comfort food for busy families who still want incredible flavor without spending hours in the kitchen.

One of my fondest memories growing up was the smell of my mom’s kitchen on a Sunday afternoon, especially when she was making this exact dish. It was a regular family tradition, and the moment I walked in the door, I knew that something delicious was on the way. I remember my first attempt at recreating that dish as an adult—juggling a busy schedule and trying to pay homage to my roots. It was everything I hoped for and more, a reminder of the love and warmth that comes from the shared experience of good food. Now, I often share this recipe with my own family, creating new memories that I hope will last a lifetime.

Why This Baked Ziti with Ground Beef is Your New Weeknight Hero

Listen, when things get hectic, we all need a recipe we can count on. This Baked Ziti with Ground Beef isn’t just tasty; it’s built for real life. No fuss, just fantastic flavor that tastes like you spent all day on it. It’s the perfect weeknight staple.

We love this because it ticks all the boxes:

• It’s a fantastic Make Ahead powerhouse for busy weeks.
• This is seriously the best kind of hearty Ground Beef Pasta Bake you’ll ever try.

Quick Prep for Busy Schedules

You only need about 25 minutes of active prep time, which is amazing! We brown up the meat, toss in the sauce, and mix the cheese. That’s pretty much it. You can even have your grocery list ready before you even start cooking because the steps are so straightforward. Seriously, anyone can master this!

The Ultimate Cheesy Baked Pasta Experience

Oh, the texture! That’s where we seal the deal. We use a blend of ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan. When it bakes up, you get those irresistible, gooey layers. Forget dry pasta; this Cheesy Baked Pasta stays moist and decadent under that golden crust. It’s pure magic.

Essential Ingredients for Perfect Baked Ziti with Ground Beef

You can’t make amazing Baked Ziti with Ground Beef without the right building blocks, right? I’ve listed out everything you need below. Don’t try to substitute the high-quality stuff here—it makes a difference! We keep it simple, focusing on deeply flavorful sauce components and a creamy cheese core.

For the Rich Meat Sauce

This is where we build that comforting flavor profile. We need richness from the meat and brightness from the tomatoes. Trust me on the whole tomatoes; they break down beautifully when simmered.

• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 whole large onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb. Italian sausage (casings removed!)
• 1 lb. ground beef (80/20 is great here)
• 1 (28-oz.) can whole tomatoes, with juice
• 2 (14.5-oz.) cans tomato sauce or marinara sauce
• 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (for a little warmth)
• Kosher salt and Ground black pepper, to taste

For the Cheesy Ziti Mixture

The cheese layer needs to be sturdy enough to hold up but soft enough to scoop beautifully. Remember to separate that mozzarella!

• 16 oz. ziti or mostaccioli, cooked until not quite al dente
• 15 oz. whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1 1/2 lb. mozzarella cheese, grated and divided (half for mixing, half for topping)
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• A little salt and pepper to season the cheese itself

Step-by-Step Instructions for Baked Ziti with Ground Beef

Okay, follow me closely here! Cooking this dish builds flavor in stages, and if you follow these steps exactly, you won’t end up with a watery mess—just perfect layers of flavor. I always put on some good Italian music while I tackle the sauce; it just makes the simmering time feel cozier!

Building the Flavorful Meat Sauce

First thing’s first: grab your pot or Dutch oven and get that olive oil warming up over medium heat. Toss in your diced onion and garlic, cooking them down until they smell fantastic and start softening up; this usually takes about five minutes. Now, add both the Italian sausage and the ground beef. You have to cook this until it’s totally browned, breaking it up with your spoon. Once it’s done, carefully drain off most of that extra fat—we want flavor, not an oil slick!

Next, pour in those beautiful whole tomatoes (juice and all!), the tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, and those handy red pepper flakes. Give it a good stir, then let it simmer gently for a solid 25 to 30 minutes. This lets all those spices really meld. Now, this is important: remove 3 to 4 hearty cups of that finished sauce into a separate bowl and let it cool while you work on the cheese. We need that reserved sauce for the top layer later.

Preparing the Pasta and Cheese Base

While the sauce is simmering, get your oven preheated to 375°F—don’t forget that step! In a separate big bowl, this is where the creaminess happens. Mix the ricotta, half of your grated mozzarella (remember, we saved half for the top, don’t mix it all in!), the parmesan, and that whole egg. Just mix it lightly until it’s combined. You are making a super-rich cheese base here!

When the pasta is cooked, make sure you drain it well but rinse it quickly with cool water—this stops the cooking process so it doesn’t get mushy in the oven. Add the slightly cooled meat sauce to the pasta and cheese mixture and toss everything together until it’s coated evenly. If you mix hot sauce with the pasta right away, the pasta keeps cooking and turns gummy, so letting it cool down first is key for that perfect texture you see in recipes like The Pioneer Woman’s version.

Assembly and Baking the Baked Ziti with Ground Beef

Time to build! Spread half of your saucy ziti mixture into your casserole dish. Top that with half of your reserved sauce, and then sprinkle over half of the mozzarella you saved for the topping. Yes, we layer! Repeat that again: the second half of the pasta mix, the rest of the sauce, and then top it all off with the rest of that beautiful mozzarella cheese.

Bake it at 375°F until it’s bubbling everywhere and the cheese is golden brown—usually about 20 minutes. Make sure you plan for a 5-minute standing time once it comes out of the oven. Seriously, wait those five minutes. It helps the layers set up so you don’t end up with a sloppy bowl. Drizzle with fresh parsley for color, and you are done! Check out more helpful hints for pasta recipes over at our main recipe index!

Tips for a Truly Perfect Baked Ziti with Ground Beef

When you’re taking a recipe like this classic Baked Ziti with Ground Beef and making it for a crowd or just your family, those little pro tips are what separate a good meal from a legendary one. I’ve messed up enough pasta bakes in my day to know what *not* to do, so let me save you some trouble! My goal is always that perfect, structured slice, not soupy dinner!

Pasta Cooking Precision

This is probably the single most important thing to remember for any baked pasta, whether it’s ziti or lasagna. You absolutely must cook your pasta until it is *not quite al dente*. I mean it! If it looks perfectly done when you drain it, it will be mushy gray sludge when it comes out of the oven after 20 minutes of baking.

Pull it out of the water about two minutes sooner than the box suggests. It should still have a little stubborn bite in the center. Don’t worry, because it’s going to finish cooking perfectly in all that wonderful sauce and cheese while it’s in the oven. It’s your insurance policy against mushiness!

Achieving Maximum Cheese Melt

I know, I know, the bags of pre-shredded mozzarella are so convenient, especially when you’re whipping up this Ground Beef Pasta Bake on a Tuesday night. But please, if you can spare the two minutes, grate your own mozzarella. The pre-shredded stuff has anti-caking agents that make it melt funny and sometimes it ends up sweaty instead of stretchy.

When you grate the cheese fresh, it melts down into those glorious, long, beautiful strings we all crave in a casserole. Use the big holes on your box grater. That fluffy grated texture incorporates better into the layers and gives you that fantastic, bubbly top layer. I promise, fresh-grated cheese in this situation is a game-changer for your Cheesy Baked Pasta.

Make Ahead and Freezer Friendly Baked Ziti with Ground Beef

This is the part of the recipe I absolutely love sharing because life gets busy, right? If you master this casserole, you also master dinner for the next few days! This Baked Ziti with Ground Beef is fantastic prepared ahead of time, and honestly, I think it tastes even better the next day once the flavors have had a chance to really settle in.

If you want to use this as a true Make Ahead meal, assemble the whole thing—pasta, sauce, cheese layers, everything—in your casserole dish, cover it tightly with foil, and pop it straight into the fridge. It can hang out in there for a full 24 hours. When you’re ready to bake it, just pull it out and let it sit on the counter for about 30 minutes while the oven heats up. You might need an extra 5 to 10 minutes of bake time for it to get fully hot, since it’s starting cold.

Now, for making this truly Freezer Friendly, you need to let the casserole cool down completely first. Don’t try to freeze it hot—that creates steam pockets and a soggy mess later on. Once it’s totally cool, cover it tightly with two layers of plastic wrap, then a layer of heavy-duty foil. You want it sealed up like a fortress! It freezes beautifully for up to three months.

When you’re ready to eat from the freezer stash, remove the plastic wrap and foil, cover it with new aluminum foil, and reheat it in a 375°F oven. You’ll need about 45 to 60 minutes, depending on how deep the pan is, until it’s bubbling all the way to the center. Just like in my notes, make sure that ziti is completely cool before it goes into the cold. This dish is a lifesaver!

Ingredient Substitutions for this Ground Beef Pasta Bake

Sometimes you open the fridge and realize you’re missing that one specific thing, right? Don’t panic! This recipe for Ground Beef Pasta Bake is super flexible, and we can totally work around a missing ingredient or two. The goal is always that amazing, cheesy texture, and we can often achieve that with swaps.

Meat Variations

If you don’t have both ground beef and sausage, it’s totally fine to use one or the other, just use 2 pounds total. If you use only Italian sausage, you might need a touch less salt since sausage is usually pre-seasoned. Or, if you are trying to lighten it up a bit, you can swap the ground beef out entirely for ground turkey. You’ll still get the flavor, just a little leaner!

Cheese Swaps

Ricotta cheese is tough to replace perfectly because it adds structure, but if you absolutely must swap it, try cottage cheese blended until smooth—it works in a pinch! For the mozzarella, if you find yourself short, provolone melts really nicely and adds a great flavor kick. And don’t stress if you’re low on parmesan; just top it with a little extra mozzarella instead. It’s all about getting that beautiful, bubbly brown top!

Serving Suggestions for Your Baked Ziti with Ground Beef

When you serve up a huge, hearty casserole like this Baked Ziti with Ground Beef, you really only need simple things on the side to balance it out. We’re going for easy and fresh here, nothing too complicated to fuss with! A little crunch and some greens help cut through all that cheesy richness.

I almost always serve this with a big, crisp Caesar salad, or maybe just some garlic bread for extra dipping power. If you want something warm, a side of simple steamed broccoli or green beans dressed with a little lemon juice works wonders. You could also look at something like my Garlic Mushroom Chicken if you want a second main dish option next time, but honestly, the Ziti carries the show!

Frequently Asked Questions About Baked Ziti with Ground Beef

I get so many great questions about making the best Baked Ziti with Ground Beef, especially from folks who are trying to perfect their Cheesy Baked Pasta game! Here are the most common things people ask me about preparation and storage. Don’t stress if you need to tweak things; this is home cooking, after all!

Can I use a different pasta shape instead of ziti?

Absolutely! Ziti is traditional, but feel free to swap it out. The most important thing is that it needs to be a short, tubular pasta that can hold onto that rich sauce. Penne works perfectly, and rigatoni is fantastic because those ridges grab onto even more sauce. So yes, use whatever short pasta you have on hand for your Cheesy Baked Pasta!

How do I keep the top layer of cheese from burning?

This happens to everyone, especially if your oven runs a little hot or if you like a super thick cheese topping! My trick is to cover the whole casserole dish tightly with aluminum foil for the first 15 minutes of baking. That traps the heat and lets the inside heat through evenly. Then, pull the foil off for the last 5 to 10 minutes so the mozzarella can get golden and bubbly. It prevents drying out the corners while ensuring that cheese melts perfectly.

Can I add vegetables to the sauce?

Of course! Adding veggies is a great way to bulk this hearty Ground Beef Pasta Bake up. If you are adding things like diced bell peppers or mushrooms, throw them into the pot right after the onions and garlic, before you add the meat. You want them to soften up nicely. They blend right into that wonderful sauce without messing up the baking process at all. See? Easy peasy!

Estimated Nutritional Data for Baked Ziti with Ground Beef

Okay, so let’s talk turkey—or in this case, beef and cheese! Since this Baked Ziti with Ground Beef is such a satisfying, hearty dish, I always like to give a rough idea of what you’re diving into. Remember, this is based on 8 generous servings, and since we all measure a little differently (and different brands of sausage have different fat levels!), these numbers are definitely estimates.

When I put together this estimate based on the primary ingredients—the pasta, the meat blend, and the generous handfuls of cheese—I find it adds up to a fantastic, complete meal. It’s rich, yes, but it’s got protein and carbs to keep the family happy and full!

Here’s a general breakdown based on my calculations, which you can check out more about on my About Page for my general philosophy:

• Estimated Calories Per Serving: 650–720 kcal
• Estimated Total Fat Per Serving: 35g–40g
• Estimated Protein Per Serving: 35g–40g
• Estimated Total Carbohydrates Per Serving: 50g–55g

A quick note from me: Please take these numbers with a grain of salt—or maybe a sprinkle of parmesan! Depending on whether you use lean ground beef versus 80/20, or if you opt for low-moisture whole milk ricotta versus part-skim, your specifics will change. But this gives you a solid ballpark estimate for this incredible Italian-American classic!

Share Your Family’s Experience Making This Dish

Now that you’ve got the recipe and all my little secrets for making the absolute best Baked Ziti with Ground Beef, I want to hear from you! Did it bring back any special memories at your dinner table, just like my mom’s tradition did for me? Cooking is always better when shared, so don’t be shy!

If you whip up this hearty Ground Beef Pasta Bake, please take a moment to come back and leave a rating right here on the page. I built this whole recipe around making life easier for busy families, so knowing that it worked for you means the world to me. It’s so important that these comforting, hands-on recipes keep coming back into our modern kitchens.

Did you tweak the seasonings, maybe sneak in some extra mushrooms, or use a different pasta shape? Tell me all about it in the comments below! I genuinely love reading how this tried-and-true casserole fits into your own family routine. You can also check out some other reader favorites over on my sample page if you need more inspiration for your next meal!