Baked Ziti with Meatballs
Baked Ziti with Meatballs is loaded with marinara sauce, three cheeses, and the best homemade meatball recipe you've ever tasted!
Servings: 12
Calories: 673kcal
Equipment
- 1.5 inch cookie scoop
Ingredients
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef (85% lean)
- 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
- 1 small onion (diced)
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ cup parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (dried)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 large egg (beaten)
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil (extra virgin)
Pasta & Sauce
- 1 pound ziti pasta (boiled and drained)
- 48 ounces pasta sauce (any brand)
Toppings
- 16 ounces parmesan cheese, shredded (divided in half)
- 16 ounces ricotta cheese (whole milk)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (dried)
- 1 large egg (beaten)
- 16 ounces mozzarella cheese (shredded)
Instructions
Meatballs
- Combine bread crumbs, ground beef, diced onion, garlic powder, freshly grated parmesan, dried Italian seasoning and salt and pepper in a large bowl.
- Add beaten egg and using your hands, combine with meatball mixture until fully incorporated. Scoop out mixture with a medium 1.5 inch scooper and roll into balls.
- Place meatballs in a skillet with olive oil on medium high heat. Brown on both sides (about 3 minutes), then remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm until time to assemble ziti.
Pasta
- Cook the pasta per the package directions in quarts of salted water until it is al dente.
- Drain cooked ziti and place in a large bowl covered with plastic wrap until ready to assemble.
Toppings
- Mix half of the shredded parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese, and Italian seasoning together in a large bowl with a beaten egg.
Assembly
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large 13-inch baking dish or aluminum pan, add a little sauce on the bottom to keep pasta from sticking.
- Alternate layers of ziti noodles, sauce, mozzarella cheese, then cheese mixture.
- Repeat until you almost reach the top of the pan. Leave 1 inch for meatballs.
- Transfer meatballs on top of cheese and press down into noodles. Drizzle with sauce. Shake a little dried Italian seasoning on top.
- Sprinkle entire dish with the other half of the shredded parmesan cheese.
- Bake pasta and meatballs in the oven for 45 minutes until golden brown and cheese is melted.
Notes
- This recipe feeds a large crowd and usually has leftovers.
- Freeze Baked Ziti with Meatballs in an aluminum pan with an airtight lid for up to 3 months.
- When ready to cook, simply take out of freezer and bake as directed. Add a few minutes to the baking time to allow for frozen food.
- To store leftovers, wrap tightly in an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven in an oven-safe baking dish.
- Make this dish ahead and keep in the refrigerator up to 2 days in an airtight container.
- View the Google Web Story for Baked Ziti with Meatballs!
Nutrition
Calories: 673kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Sodium: 1667mg | Potassium: 567mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 821mg | Iron: 3mg