Recipe--baked ziti or similar baked pasta with cheese

[nicolewi]

Anyone have a good recipe that's easy for a red sauce pasta bake with cheese? I have one that's okay but i don't feel I have a great go-to option. I would probably need to make it pork-free for DD, so wouldn't be able to use sausage (so like ground beef, ground turkey, etc).

DH doesn't like the mac & cheese bar idea and thinks it's a rip-off price-wise, although I still think it was a good one!

Am now considering making a red sauce pasta bake, and also a chicken alfredo bake, with salad, fruit, bread, cake. 

[erbear]

The Tik Tok feta pasta is really good and very simple.

[momin2013]

How about stuffed shells? I don’t really use a recipe - I just cook the shells, stuff with a mixture similar to what goes in lasagna (container of ricotta, bunch of shredded mozz, couple of eggs, salt & pepper), put a bit of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 pan, put the shells in, too with more sauce and more shredded mozz, then bake at 375 for about 30-40 mins.

[VillainV]

I do baked penne.

Dump one box of uncooked penne (16oz) and one jar of red pasta sauce of your choice into a 9x13 pan. Fill sauce jar 2/3 with water, swish around to get remaining sauce out, and dump water on top of pasta/sauce. Stir so water and sauce are mixed in, and make sure all pasta is in contact with the water. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes at 425 degrees.

After 35 minutes, remove foil and stir in 8oz shredded mozzarella or Italian blend cheese. You can add some cooked sausage if you’d like. I don’t recommend ground beef unless it’s really well seasoned. Leave uncovered and bake at 425 for 10-15 until the cheese is all melted.

I usually serve with garlic bread and bagged salad.

[expectantsteelerfan]

I make baked ziti (or penne) by cooking the pasta, dumping it in a 9x13 pan, adding a jar of sauce (I like Roa's marinara), adding 2 slices of provalone cheese that I break up and then about 1/2 or so of a bag of shredded mozz. and provalone mix (or just mozz, but I usually have the mix since that is what I buy most often, I usually finish whatever open bag I have in my fridge). I usually mix the cheese in while topping, then add a little just to the top. Bake at 375ish for like 30ish min and broil the top a bit (watch carefully).

It is seriously one of the easiest dinners I make and is a crowd pleaser and could be doubled for a crowd, add spices if you want, etc., but my kids don't like meat in their sauce. I sometimes throw some frozen meatballs in with the pasta while it bakes to have those for myself if I want extra protein.

I also make stuffed shells similarly to momin, which is also just as easy except for the tediousness of filling the shells with the cheese mixture, but my kids don't like ricotta so I have to make plain pasta too when I make it and it seems like a lot of work for just dh and me to then have tons of leftovers, so I tend to just do that if we are having company.

[orval]

I have been using this recipe since covid times. It is pretty good and filling.

www.spendwithpennies.com/baked-ziti/

[mcppalmbeach]

Yeah my baked ziti is super easy and everyone always loves it. Cook a box of ziti. Use whatever sauce you like to lightly cover the bottom or a 9x13 pan. Mix a container of ricotta with 2/3 a 2-cup bag of mozzarella or Italian shredded cheese, add in whatever Italian spices you like. Brown 2 pounds of ground beef. Use whatever Italian spices you like, you can add garlic or onion if you wish. I rarely do and it’s just as good. Drain and add the rest of the pasta sauce
To the meat and simmer until it bubbles. Mix meat sauce with pasta. Put half of that down on the 9x13. Top with the cheese mixture. On top of that put the rest of the sauce/pasta. Top with remainder of shredded cheese and sprinkle some Parmesan. Sometimes I need a little more cheese for topping. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

[thebreakfastclub]

You could also just have a tray of plain pasta, 2 sauces, and then meatballs, and avoid making 2 baked zitis.

[jorja]

I use the Pioneer Woman recipe for Baked Ziti and it is delicious. I use both ground beef and spicy ground Italian sausage. Usually don’t bother making my own sauce and just use Rao’s.

www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a11688/baked-ziti/

[redpenmama]

I second the Pioneer Woman Baked Ziti. We also love Rachel Ray's Italian Mac and Cheese. It's my go-to meal if I'm delivering someone food because people love it. You can sub the Italian sausage for ground beef.

www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/italian-mac-n-cheese-recipe-1915238

[ssmjlm]

This is a baked tortellini that we like: www.instrupix.com/easy-cheesy-baked-tortellini-casserole-with-meat-sauce/

I usually put it into 2 pans and freeze one. You could easily sub sausage instead of ground beef and I don't always have a full block of cream cheese, so sometimes it's just half.

[sent]

Does baked ziti usually have meat? I really like baked ziti and often order it because the Italian places around here don't make it with meat. I've never followed a recipe to make it at home (I just wing it) so I didn't realize recipes typically say to add meat to it.

[hbomdiggity]

I make baked ziti by making my regular meat/Sunday sauce, then mixing in with cooked ziti, ricotta, and shredded mozzarella; then pouring pan, add shredded mozzarella on top and cook until bubbly and brown on top.

[luckystar2]

Jan 3, 2024 13:29:52 GMT -5 hbomdiggity said:

I make baked ziti by making my regular meat/Sunday sauce, then mixing in with cooked ziti, ricotta, and shredded mozzarella; then pouring pan, add shredded mozzarella on top and cook until bubbly and brown on top.

This exactly! There’s really not much to it as far as recipe goes. I do make homemade ziti noodles and homemade sauce that has Italian sausage in it. But it’s just that ricotta and mozzarella cheese.

[luckystar2]

Jan 3, 2024 12:29:47 GMT -5 sent said:

Does baked ziti usually have meat? I really like baked ziti and often order it because the Italian places around here don't make it with meat. I've never followed a recipe to make it at home (I just wing it) so I didn't realize recipes typically say to add meat to it.

I think it really depends. Most people seem to love to put meat in things. I used to make it plain without meat but I use my homemade sauce which I put Italian sausage in now.

I can’t eat red meat so I have to be cautious at Italian restaurants and always read what’s listed in the pasta dishes. I pretty much can never get lasagna out because everywhere I’ve gone has it with meat in it. I don’t typically see much baked ziti in restaurants to notice.

[tacokick]

Jan 3, 2024 12:29:47 GMT -5 sent said:

Does baked ziti usually have meat? I really like baked ziti and often order it because the Italian places around here don't make it with meat. I've never followed a recipe to make it at home (I just wing it) so I didn't realize recipes typically say to add meat to it.

I think a lot of Italian places make that their vegetarian option. The place we get takeout from has ziti and lasagna as veggie as the default and then you can add/sub meat sauce for $1.