Plento Pasto CookbookClassic Baked Ziti
⏱ 45 min
🍽 Serves 4
≈ $14.25 ($3.56/serving)
novice
Why this fits a family on a budget
Baked ziti is the no-fuss, crowd-pleasing pasta bake that has anchored potlucks, Sunday dinners, and weeknight tables for generations. Cheesy, saucy, and endlessly familiar, it's exactly what families reach for when they need a guaranteed win.
Ingredients
• 12 oz ziti pasta
• 24 oz jarred marinara sauce
• 1 lb ground beef (80/20)
• 15 oz ricotta cheese
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 0.25 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 whole egg
• 0.5 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp salt
• 0.25 tsp black pepper
Instructions
1. Preheat your oven to 375°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the ziti according to package directions until just al dente (about 1 minute less than the package says — it will finish cooking in the oven). Drain and set aside.
2. While the pasta cooks, brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a spoon, until no pink remains, about 6–8 minutes. Drain excess fat. Stir in the marinara sauce and let it simmer on low heat for 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese, egg, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper until smooth. This is your creamy layer.
4. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Spread about one-third of the meat sauce on the bottom of the dish. Add the drained ziti in an even layer. Drop spoonfuls of the ricotta mixture over the pasta and spread gently. Pour the remaining meat sauce evenly over the top. Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella and Parmesan evenly across the surface.
5. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 375°F for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10–15 minutes, until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and lightly golden on top. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving so the layers hold together.
Contains: gluten, dairy, egg. Always double-check labels for your household's allergies.
Cost is a national-average estimate and varies by store and region.
Plan a whole week like this — free
Plento Pasto plans a week of family dinners around the grocery budget you set and what's already in your kitchen. Free to plan, no ads.
This recipe was generated by Plento Pasto's AI from a library of family-friendly dishes and reviewed for a real photo before publishing. Cooking times, costs, and nutrition are estimates — use your judgment in the kitchen.
← Browse more budget-friendly dinners