This Baked Ziti with Tomatoes recipe is a relatively easy pasta recipe that everyone in your family will enjoy. How can you go wrong with ground beef and cheese on pasta?
If you are trying to be a little more health-conscious or just don't care for red meat, you can substitute ground beef for some ground turkey. Either way, this baked ziti dish is fantastic. One of the days I am going to try adding some chicken instead of using ground beef. Need to have some protein!
🐄 How to Handle Raw Beef
Thaw raw ground beef on a plate on the lowest shelf of the refrigerator, to avoid dripping onto other foods.
Keep raw and ready-to-eat meats separate.
Wash hands thoroughly before and after handling raw ground beef. Wash cutting boards, bowls, and utensils used to prepare raw ground beef with hot soapy water and rinse well.
Use separate plates to carry raw ground beef patties to the cooking area and cooked patties to the serving area.
Use a Thermometer to ensure Ground Beef Reaches the Safely Cooked Internal Temperature of 160°F.
💭 What is Al Dente
When making pasta, it's important to cook the pasta al dente to ensure to best texture possible. If you are not familiar with the term "al dente", it means cooking the pasta so it's still chewy and firm and that it will hold its shape when the sauce is added to it.
💭 Ingredient Substitution
Instead of the Ziti Pasta you can use Rigatoni Pasta if you want. Very similar in shape and will not alter the overall flavor of this fantastic dish.
For more great recipes like this one, I suggest you check these recipes out:
📋 What ingredients do I need
You will need the following ingredients to make this Baked Ziti with Tomatoes recipe (see recipe card for quantities): Ground Beef, Yellow Onion, Tomatoes, Salt, Basil, Ground Black Pepper, Ziti, Mozzarella Cheese and Parmesan.
🥣 How to Make Baked Ziti with Tomatoes
In a Dutch oven, cook the ground beef and chopped onions over medium heat until the meat is cooked. Drain the juices.
Stir in the tomatoes, salt, basil, and pepper. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Cook ziti noodles al dente according to package directions. Drain and put the pasta in a large bowl. Stir in the meat mixture and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.
Transfer to a greased baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and remaining mozzarella cheese.
Cover and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 15 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
Baked Ziti with Tomatoes
Equipment
- Skillet
- Baking Dish
- Bowl for Mixing
Ingredients
- 1 lb Lean Ground Beef
- 1 Yellow Onion, chopped
- 4 Cups Tomatoes, diced
- 1 ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Dried Basil
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 16 oz Ziti
- 2 Cups Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
- 2 tablespoon Parmesan Cheese, grated
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven, cook the ground beef and chopped onions over medium heat until meat is cooked. Drain the juices.
- Stir in the tomatoes, salt, basil, and pepper. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Cook ziti noodles al dente according to package directions. Drain and put the pasta in a large bowl. Stir in meat mixture and 1 cup mozzarella cheese.
- Transfer to a greased baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and remaining mozzarella cheese.
- Cover and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 15 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and bubbling.
Nutrition
Nutritional information provided for this recipe is based on 1 serving. This information is an estimate and may vary based on several factors. If nutritional information is important to you and your diet, please verify this recipe with a Registered Dietitian.
Nikki
This baked ziti was very tasty. My husband loved it and we had enough leftover for a second dinner.