This easy baked ziti is a huge family favorite. Creamy, cheesy alfredo pasta topped with a beefy spaghetti sauce! Then topped with melted cheese!
EASY BAKED ZITI CASSEROLE
This is one of my favorite comfort food pasta dishes. This one along with my BAKED SPAGHETTI (SPASAGNA) is the ultimate comfort food for me. Serve it with some GARLIC BREAD and a salad and I am a happy camper!
HOW-TO VIDEO INCLUDED BELOW
CAN I USE ANY KIND OF PASTA FOR BAKED ZITI?
I like the Penne pasta because it has those little ridges in it. And those little ridges are really good at hanging onto the pasta sauce. But if you prefer the Ziti pasta, then use that instead of the Penne. Or maybe you are able to find the Ziti with ridges in your local supermarket, then you could use that as well. This recipe is versatile and you can use almost any other pasta noodle you prefer. I love it in this CREAMY GARLIC PENNE PASTA.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
ground beef
spaghetti sauce*
alfredo sauce
penne pasta (or ziti or rigatoni)
yellow onion
shredded mozzarella cheese
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE BAKED ZITI:
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE BAKED ZITI:Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Prepare pasta according to directions. In a medium sauce pan, brown ground beef with onion (if using.) After beef is browned and crumbled, drain excess grease. Put back in pot and pour in one jar of spaghetti sauce. Keep mixture on low until pasta is done. When pasta is finished, drain well. You want the pasta as dry as possible. Put pasta back in large pot (with heat off) and pour in jar of alfredo sauce. Combine until thoroughly coated.
Pour pasta mixture into bottom of 9×13 dish.
Cover pasta with spaghetti sauce mixture.
Sprinkle top with mozzarella cheese.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes. I like to spray the inside of my foil with nonstick spray so the cheese doesn’t stick to it. Or you could use nonstick aluminum foil.
Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Let rest for about 5 minutes after taking out of oven.
*Cook’s Notes: When I make this, I usually purchase an extra can of spaghetti sauce so we can pour extra sauce over the top when serving.
Enjoy!
Originally published: May 2011
Updated and republished: May 2019
EASY BAKED ZITI
This easy baked ziti is a huge family favorite. Creamy, cheesy alfredo pasta topped with a beefy spaghetti sauce! Then topped with melted cheese!
Print Pin RatePrep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 368kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 (32 oz) jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
- 1 (16 oz) jar alfredo sauce
- 1 lb penne pasta (or ziti or rigatoni)
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
- Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Prepare pasta according to directions.
- In a medium sauce pan, brown ground beef with onion (if using).
- After beef is brown and crumbled, drain excess grease.
- Put back in pot and pour in one jar of spaghetti sauce.
- Keep mixture on low until pasta is done.
- When pasta is finished, drain excess water from pasta. You want the pasta as dry as possible.
- Put pasta back in large pot (with heat off) and pour in jar of alfredo sauce. Combine until thoroughly coated.
- Pour pasta mixture into bottom of 9 x 13 dish.
- Cover pasta with spaghetti sauce mixture.
- Don’t put the pot that you used for the spaghetti sauce in with the dirty dishes yet. Keep that pot out and start heating up second jar of spaghetti sauce on low heat. Put a cover on it to keep warm until ziti is finished baking.
- Sprinkle top with mozzarella cheese.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Let rest for about 5 minutes after taking out of oven.
- Serve portions onto plates, and pour some of the heated spaghetti sauce on top.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 368kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 287mg | Potassium: 317mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 250IU | Vitamin C: 0.7mg | Calcium: 205mg | Iron: 2.8mg
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LOVE THIS PASTA RECIPE? HERE’S MORE!
EASY BAKED SPAGHETTI (Spasagna)
SAUSAGE SPAGHETTI “CUPCAKES”
PIZZA PASTA BAKE
MEATBALL SUB CASSEROLE
CROCK POT CHICKEN ALFREDO LASAGNA
OMG! Amazing!!
Not bad for an easy bake ziti recipe. I mix Italian sausage into the meat mix. Going to keep this recipe in my rotation.
Made this recipe once before and it was so delicious. Making again this week. Everyone loves it, made exactly as you posted.
Thank you for this amazing recipe.
Hello this recipe looks so yummy. I was wondering do you use any spices . Thanks…. I was going to make this tonight. I can’t wait to try!!!!
We have had this several times now, and absolutely love it! I’ve switched the ground beef to a pound of ground Italian sausage, and added fresh sliced mushrooms on top of the pasta before pouring the spaghetti sauce on! Yum! This is a definite keeper! Thanks for sharing!
Brilliant idea to use Alfredo. Makes it so creamy. I have made so many ziti recipes and they always turn out dry. I also have never thought to use extra sauce for the top. Great idea. This will definitely be a regular on my menu. Delicious!
How many servings do you get? I’m having 6 adults. And 3 very young kids. They love ziti and I want to make enough.
Hi Christine, I responded to the email you sent me. 🙂
Can you use cheddar shredded cheese?
If that is what you enjoy – sure!
Can I double this recipe to have some to freeze? If so is it just doubling all ingredients?
Made this last night for dinner and I have a picky crowd. My family doesn’t like to try new things as I do. I made it axacly the same that shows in picture besides added more spaghetti sauce based on other comments which I think it needed and did 1/2 ground beef and 1/2 spicy Italian sausage. I was a big hit! Definitely a keeper. Thank you it was was delicious!
How about adding ricotta cheese?
If you love Ricotta then I say go for it! 🙂
Love this recipe. I have made several times. Do you think I can make in the crockpot? Wanted to take for a potluck. Was going to double everything and add right to the crockpot and not cook the noodles first. Do you have any other suggestions?
The recipe was easy enough, my family liked it. I really didn’t care for it. But then, I’m not big on Italian food either.
Thank you for this amazing recipe!! This turned out fantastic. Even my son who is INCREDIBLY picky ate his entire plate full. I didn’t add extra sauce but could see how it would be good with it on there. My oldest said it tasted a bit like lasagna. I did put a layer of cheese between the noodle mixture and meat mixture. I will definitely be making this again real soon.
Wow this was really good! It also freezes well.
I am a little confused. Your list of ingredients only mentions one jar of spaghetti sauce, yet in the directions, it refers to two jars of spaghetti sauce in addition to the alfredo sauce.
Hi Bev! The second can is optional. It can be used when serving but is not necessary/ It just depends on how much sauce you like. 🙂
This was a thumbs up from everybody! My 11 year old can be a little picky and he raved about it! i had some shredded chicken left over and i used it instead of the ground beef and I omitted the onion This will definitely become a go to meal especially on soccer nights because it is so easy! Thank you for posting!
This was really good. Makes a whole lot of food!!!!
So happy you enjoyed it Bobbi! Thank you for coming back to review!
I see there is a box of cream cheese in the pic of ingredients. Where is that used?
Hi Christi! I am not sure what you’re seeing there. There’s no cream cheese in this…
I think the confusion is with the bag of cheese. At first glance, it does look like a box of cream cheese but it is actually the bag of mozzarella that contains a bit of Philadelphia cream cheese.
Excellent recipe! The children loved it!!
Love hearing that Marvin! Thank you so much!
This is a big hit in our house! I’ve been making it a few times a month for the last year. I have VERY picky boys and they LOVE this recipe. Thank you for sharing!
I absolutely love hearing that!! Thanks so much Lori!!
This recipe is Delicious!!!! Makes a whole lot!!!
This is a family favorite! I’ve tweaked the recipe a bit. I use ground Italian sausage instead of the ground beef and I add sautéed mushrooms. We also made it with grilled chicken instead of the ground meat. All have been delicious but the ground sausage is our fave!
Thank you so very much! I love the variety you brought to it as well. So awesome to get great feedback like this. Thanks Kimberlee!