Meaty ziti casserole is a delightful and satisfying dish filled with layers of flavorful ingredients. This comfort food classic combines ground beef, Italian sausage, and hearty ziti pasta smothered in a rich and creamy sauce. Topped with a golden layer of melted cheese, this casserole delivers a delectable combination of textures and flavors that will please the whole family. Whether you're looking for a quick weeknight meal or a special occasion dish, this recipe offers a surefire way to delight your taste buds.
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MEATY BAKED ZITI
This baked ziti recipe takes a little time to make, but it's worth it in the end! This meat sauce is way better than a jar sauce, and I use it for other Italian recipes as well. You can also make the sauce ahead of time and store it in the fridge for a few days until you are ready to eat it.
Provided by Bridget
Time 2h5m
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook and stir sausage and ground beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Add tomato sauce, whole tomatoes with juice, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, basil, sugar, and red pepper flakes; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Turn off the heat. Transfer 3 cups sauce to a bowl and leave remaining sauce in the pot; allow to cool while you prepare ziti.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain ziti and rinse under cool water to stop it from cooking.
- Combine ricotta, 2 cups mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, 2 tablespoon parsley, and pepper in a bowl; stir together with a few turns but do not mix completely. Pour drained ziti into the bowl and toss until slightly combined with large lumps. Add the reserved 3 cups meat sauce and toss to combine.
- Place 1/2 of the pasta mixture into a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Spoon 1/2 of the remaining sauce over top, layer with 6 slices of provolone and 1 cup mozzarella. Repeat layers: pasta mixture, remaining sauce, 6 slices provolone, and 1 cup mozzarella. Cover with foil.
- Place on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven until bubbling, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake until cheese is fully melted and slightly browned, 5 to 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with parsley. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 593.1 calories, Carbohydrate 37.3 g, Cholesterol 111.2 mg, Fat 31.5 g, Fiber 2.3 g, Protein 39.2 g, SaturatedFat 16 g, Sodium 1030.4 mg, Sugar 4.3 g
CHEESY BAKED ZITI WITH BEEF
Steps:
- Gather the ingredients.
- Heat the oven to 350 F. Lightly butter a 2 1/2-quart baking dish. Bring a big pot of water to a boil.
- Drizzle the olive oil in a very large skillet or sauté pan and place it over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the ground beef, onion, and green bell pepper. Cook, stirring until the onion is tender and the beef is no longer pink.
- Drain off the excess fat and then add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer.
- While the meat is simmering, cook the ziti in the boiling salted water until just al dente. The pasta needs to still have some bite as it will continue cooking in the oven. Set aside.
- Add the cooked pasta and half of the mozzarella cheese to the pan with the meat sauce.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish.
- Top the casserole with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Bake the ziti for 25 to 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
- Serve hot and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts : Calories 383 kcal, Carbohydrate 17 g, Cholesterol 94 mg, Fiber 3 g, Protein 32 g, SaturatedFat 8 g, Sodium 1057 mg, Sugar 7 g, Fat 21 g, ServingSize 6 servings, UnsaturatedFat 0 g
BAKED ZITI
Provided by Ree Drummond : Food Network
Categories main-dish
Time 1h35m
Yield 12 servings
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions and saute until starting to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the ground beef and sausage and cook until browned. Drain off almost all of the fat, leaving a bit behind for flavor and moisture. Add the tomato sauce, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and some salt and pepper. Stir, bring to a simmer and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove 3 to 4 cups of the cooked sauce to a bowl to cool down.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add some salt. Cook the ziti until not quite al dente.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a bowl, mix 2 cups of the grated mozzarella, the ricotta, Parmesan, parsley, eggs and some salt and pepper. Stir together just a couple of times (do not mix completely).
- Drain the pasta and rinse under cool water to stop the cooking and cool it down. Pour it into the bowl with the cheese mixture and toss to slightly combine (there should still be large lumps). Add the cooled reserved meat sauce and toss to combine.
- Add half the coated pasta to a large casserole dish or lasagna dish. Spoon half of the remaining sauce over the top, then top with half the remaining mozzarella. Repeat with another layer of the coated pasta and the remaining sauce and mozzarella.
- Bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before sprinkling with chopped parsley to serve.
MEATY ZITI CASSEROLE WITH GROUND BEEF AND ITALIAN SAUSAGE RECIPE
Provided by á-49759
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Heat the oven to 350° F (180° C/Gas 4). Lightly grease or spray a 2 1/2 to 3-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef, sausage, and onion. Cook, stirring, until the meat is no longer pink and the onion is translucent. Add the garlic to the meat mixture and cook, stirring, for 1 minute longer. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, and crushed red pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 to 12 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, the egg, and 1 cup of Mozzarella cheese. Stir until well blended. While the sauce is simmering, cook the ziti in boiling salted water following directions on the package. Drain well. Add the hot drained pasta to the bowl with the ricotta cheese mixture. Toss lightly to blend. Add 2 cups of the meat sauce to the ziti mixture. Transfer half of the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish. Spread about half of the meat sauce over the pasta, then top with the remaining Parmesan cheese and half of the remaining Mozzarella. Top with the remaining pasta mixture, then finish with the remaining meat sauce and remaining Mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley. Bake for 25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly around the edges.
BEST ZITI EVER WITH SAUSAGE
Ziti is layered with sausage, ricotta, mozzarella and tomato sauce, then baked until bubbling.
Provided by Dawn
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Italian
Time 1h
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
- Place sausage in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside. In a large saucepan, heat pasta sauce with 1 teaspoon basil until bubbling. In a medium bowl, mix together ricotta, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
- Spread bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish with sauce. Layer 1/2 of the ziti, 1/2, the sausage, 1/2 of the ricotta, and 1/2 the mozzarella. Spoon half of the sauce over top. Repeat layers. Sprinkle top with remaining 1/2 teaspoons basil and Italian seasoning.
- Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 631.1 calories, Carbohydrate 63.1 g, Cholesterol 71.8 mg, Fat 25.3 g, Fiber 4.8 g, Protein 36.3 g, SaturatedFat 11.7 g, Sodium 1350.3 mg, Sugar 10.8 g
MEATY ZITI WITH PESTO DOLLOP
Provided by Molly Yeh
Categories main-dish
Time 1h20m
Yield 6 to 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 23
Steps:
- For the meaty ziti: Place an oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for pasta.
- Heat a large braiser (about 5 quarts) over medium heat and add the olive oil. Crumble in the sausage. Cook, breaking up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 4 minutes. Add the onion, sliced fennel and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, 4 to 5 minutes. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and the red pepper flakes. Stir to incorporate and allow the red pepper flakes to toast, about 1 minute. Add the wine. Increase the heat to reduce by half, about 2 minutes.
- Add both cans of tomatoes. Add 1 cup water to the smaller reserved can and add the tomato-water to the pot. Bring to a simmer and cook until thick and flavorful, about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add the ziti to the boiling water and cook according to the package instructions. Drain and add the pasta to the sauce. Toss to coat. Add almost all the shredded mozzarella (saving some for the top) and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Tear half the fresh mozzarella into smaller pieces and add to the pasta; fold the cheeses into the pasta. Top with the remaining shredded mozzarella and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan, then dot with torn pieces of the remaining fresh mozzarella.
- Bake, uncovered, until the edges are bubbling and the top is golden and crusty, 20 to 25 minutes. Meanwhile, make the pesto.
- For the pesto: Combine the basil, parsley, fennel fronds, almonds, lemon zest and juice, garlic, salt and Parmesan in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to make a coarse paste. With the machine running, add the olive oil in a steady stream to make a smooth pesto.
- Dollop the pesto on top of the hot pasta. Season with black pepper and finish with grated Parmesan.
BAKED ZITI WITH GROUND BEEF AND ITALIAN SAUSAGE
Steps:
- Gather the ingredients.
- Heat the oven to 350 F. Lightly grease or spray a 2 1/2- to a 3-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef, sausage, and onion. Cook, stirring until the meat is no longer pink and the onion is translucent.
- Add the garlic to the meat mixture and cook, while stirring, for 1 minute longer.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, and crushed red pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 to 12 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed.
- In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg, and mozzarella cheese. Stir until well blended.
- While the sauce is simmering, cook the ziti in boiling salted water following the directions on the package. Drain well.
- Add the hot drained pasta to the bowl with the ricotta cheese mixture. Toss lightly to blend.
- Add 2 cups of the meat sauce to the ziti mixture.
- Transfer half of the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Spread about half of the remaining meat sauce over the pasta, and then top with the Parmesan cheese and 1 cup of the remaining mozzarella.
- Top with the remaining pasta mixture.
- Finish with the remaining meat sauce, remaining mozzarella cheese, and sprinkle with the chopped parsley.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly around the edges.
- Serve and enjoy.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 640 kcal, Carbohydrate 26 g, Cholesterol 176 mg, Fiber 4 g, Protein 52 g, SaturatedFat 17 g, Sodium 1255 mg, Sugar 9 g, Fat 37 g, ServingSize 1 Casserole (6 Servings), UnsaturatedFat 0 g
BEEF AND ITALIAN SAUSAGE CASSEROLE
This is a hardy casserole, our friend Joe, loves making this. He changes up the sausage from time to time but always uses something with a kick to it.
Provided by Dancer
Categories One Dish Meal
Time 1h
Yield 8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Cook first 6 ingredients in large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until sausage and beef are brown, crumbling with fork, about 5 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, 2 tablespoons juice (from tomatoes), tomato paste and pepper flakes; simmer 5 minutes, breaking up tomatoes with back of spoon.
- Add kidney beans and heat through.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Add mostaccioli, Parmesan and parsley and toss to combine.
- Spray 9-by-13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray.
- Transfer mixture to prepared pan.
- Sprinkle with cheese.
- Bake until cheese melts, about 30 minutes.
Tips:
- Brown the ground beef and sausage thoroughly. This will help to develop their flavor and prevent them from becoming greasy.
- Use a variety of cheeses. This will create a more complex and flavorful dish. A good combination is to use a combination of mozzarella, Parmesan, and ricotta cheeses.
- Don't overcook the pasta. Al dente pasta is best for this dish. It will hold its shape and texture when it is baked in the casserole.
- Use a large baking dish. This will allow the casserole to cook evenly. A 9x13 inch baking dish is a good size.
- Top the casserole with breadcrumbs. This will give it a golden brown crust.
- Let the casserole rest for a few minutes before serving. This will allow the flavors to meld together.
Conclusion:
Meaty Ziti Casserole is a hearty and satisfying dish that is perfect for a weeknight meal. It is easy to make and can be tailored to your own taste preferences. With its combination of ground beef, sausage, pasta, and cheese, this casserole is sure to be a hit with your family and friends.
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