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baked ziti

ClubFoody avatar
Recipe by
Francine Lizotte
@ClubFoody
Surrey South, BC

Super cheesy with a nice bold flavor, this casserole recipe is comfort food to the max!

yield 8 servings
prep time 10 Min
cook time 1 Hr 15 Min
method Bake

Ingredients For baked ziti

  • 2 Tbsp
    olive oil
  • 2 c
    yellow onions, chopped
  • 4 lg
    cloves garlic, pressed
  • 1 lb
    lean ground beef
  • 1 lb
    hot italian sausage, casings removed
  • 1 tsp
    ground himalayan pink salt
  • 1 tsp
    freshly ground black pepper (i always use mixed peppercorns)
  • 1/2 c
    dry red wine
  • 3 c
    (22 oz.) marinara sauceed
  • 1 jar
    (680 ml.) passata rustica
  • 1/2 c
    low-sodium beef broth
  • 1 Tbsp
    italian seasoning
  • 1 lb
    (16 oz.) ziti (substitute rigatoni or penne rigate), cooked minus 2 minutes
  • 2 c
    ricotta cheese
  • 1 lg
    free-range egg, beaten
  • 2 Tbsp
    fresh parsley, chopped and divided
  • 2 c
    fontina cheese, grated
  • 2 c
    grana padano cheese, grated

How To Make baked ziti

  • 1
    In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add oil and when it starts shimmering, add onions; sauté until translucent, about 2 ½ to 3 minutes.
  • 2
    Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
  • 3
    Add ground beef and Italian sausage; season with salt and pepper. Cook until no longer pink, breaking into small pieces, 5 to 6 minutes.
  • 4
    Add red wine and cook until liquid is reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes.
  • 5
    Add marinara sauce and passata; rinse jar with beef broth.
  • 6
    Season with Italian seasoning, stir well, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 30 minutes; taste and adjust seasonings.
  • 7
    Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, combine ricotta, beaten egg and 1 tbsp. chopped parsley. Stir to blend and set aside.
  • 8
    Preheat oven to 375ºF and grease a 5-quart baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
  • 9
    Remove the sauce from the heat and add cooked pasta; stir well. Transfer half the mixture to the prepared baking dish and level it out.
  • 10
    Spoon half ricotta mixture and spread it out evenly. Sprinkle on ¾ cup Fontina cheese and ¾ cup Grana Padano cheese.
  • 11
    Add the remaining pasta mixture and repeat the same steps; ricotta, Fontina and Grana Padano.
  • 12
    Cover loosely with foil and transfer to the preheated oven. Bake for 20 minutes before removing the foil.
  • 13
    Turn the broiler on “low” and bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.
  • 14
    Remove from the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes before sprinkling on the remaining 1 tbsp. chopped parsley.
  • 15
    To view this delicious pasta dish on YouTube, click on this link >>> https://youtu.be/hwlGm6RNJjM
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