Make-Ahead Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce & Garlic-Herb Ricotta
A never-dry, crowd-size baked ziti: saucy beef-and-pork tomato sauce, a creamy Parmesan-parsley ricotta layer and a browned mozzarella top. Assemble it the night before (or freeze it) and slide it in the oven for an easy Halloween-night, potluck or rainy-weekend dinner.
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Ingredients
Serves 8
- 1 lb ziti or penne pasta
- 1 tbsp kosher saltfor the pasta water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef and pork mixor all 85% lean ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onionfinely diced
- 4 cloves garlicminced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakesoptional
- 1 tsp kosher saltfor the sauce
- 24 oz jarred marinara sauce
- 15 oz canned crushed tomatoes
- 15 oz whole-milk ricotta
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup grated Parmesandivided
- 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsleychopped, divided
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 lb low-moisture mozzarellashredded (about 4 cups), divided
The method
Heat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 tbsp kosher salt.
5 minCook the ziti 2 minutes less than the package says for al dente (it finishes in the oven). Scoop out 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then drain.
9 minMeanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground meat and onion and cook, breaking up the meat, until browned with no pink left and the onion is soft. Spoon off excess fat.
8 minStir in the garlic, tomato paste, oregano, red pepper flakes and 1 tsp salt. Cook, stirring, until the tomato paste darkens a shade and smells sweet.
2 minPour in the marinara and crushed tomatoes. Simmer gently, stirring now and then, until slightly thickened. Taste and adjust the salt.
10 minIn a bowl, stir together the ricotta, egg, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, half the parsley and the black pepper until smooth.
3 minToss the drained pasta with the meat sauce and the reserved pasta water. It should look loose and extra saucy; the pasta soaks it up as it bakes, which is what keeps it from drying out.
2 minSpread half the pasta in the dish. Dollop the ricotta mixture over it in spoonfuls and scatter 2 cups of the mozzarella on top. Add the rest of the pasta, then the remaining mozzarella and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan. (To make ahead, stop here: cover tightly and refrigerate up to 24 hours, or freeze; see notes.)
5 minCover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 to 20 minutes more, until the sauce bubbles at the edges and the cheese has golden-brown spots.
35 minLet the ziti rest for 10 minutes so it slices cleanly, then sprinkle with the remaining parsley and serve.
10 min
Timings are a guide. Use the instruction and your own judgment as you cook.
Make it ahead
- Fridge: Assemble through step 8, cover tightly and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Bake straight from cold, adding about 15 minutes to the covered stage.
- Freezer: Wrap the unbaked dish in plastic wrap and then foil and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and bake as above, or bake from frozen at 350°F covered for about 60 minutes, then uncovered 20 to 25 minutes, until hot in the center (165°F).
Halloween-night timing
Assemble it the night before. Put it in the oven about an hour before you head out trick-or-treating, and dinner is ready when the costumes go on.
Swaps
- Use Italian sausage (casings removed) in place of the beef and pork for more spice.
- For a vegetarian version, skip the meat and brown 8 oz chopped mushrooms with the onion, then stir 5 oz baby spinach into the sauce.
Leftovers
Refrigerate within 2 hours for up to 4 days. Reheat covered at 350°F with a splash of water until hot all the way through.
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