Recipes Main Dishes Pasta Meaty Baked Ziti 5.0 (3) 3 Reviews 3 Photos This baked ziti recipe takes a little time to make, but it's worth it in the end! This meat sauce is way better than a jar sauce, and I use it for other Italian recipes as well. You can also make the sauce ahead of time and store it in the fridge for a few days until you are ready to eat it. Submitted by Bridget Published on February 6, 2017 Save Rate Print Share Close Add Photo 3 Prep Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 35 mins Additional Time: 5 mins Total Time: 2 hrs 5 mins Servings: 12 Yield: 12 servings Jump to Nutrition Facts Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1x 2x 4x Oops! Something went wrong. Our team is working on it. Original recipe (1X) yields 12 servings 1 pound bulk mild Italian sausage 1 pound ground beef 2 (14.5 ounce) cans tomato sauce 1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes with juice ½ cup diced white onion 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning 1 teaspoon dried basil 1 teaspoon white sugar ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 (16 ounce) package ziti pasta 1 (15 ounce) container whole-milk ricotta cheese 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 large egg, beaten 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, or to taste ½ teaspoon ground black pepper 12 slices provolone cheese Directions Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook and stir sausage and ground beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Add tomato sauce, whole tomatoes with juice, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, basil, sugar, and red pepper flakes; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Turn off the heat. Transfer 3 cups sauce to a bowl and leave remaining sauce in the pot; allow to cool while you prepare ziti. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain ziti and rinse under cool water to stop it from cooking. Combine ricotta, 2 cups mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, 2 tablespoon parsley, and pepper in a bowl; stir together with a few turns but do not mix completely. Pour drained ziti into the bowl and toss until slightly combined with large lumps. Add the reserved 3 cups meat sauce and toss to combine. Place 1/2 of the pasta mixture into a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Spoon 1/2 of the remaining sauce over top, layer with 6 slices of provolone and 1 cup mozzarella. Repeat layers: pasta mixture, remaining sauce, 6 slices provolone, and 1 cup mozzarella. Cover with foil. Place on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven until bubbling, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake until cheese is fully melted and slightly browned, 5 to 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with parsley. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. I Made It Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 593 Calories 32g Fat 37g Carbs 39g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 12 Calories 593 % Daily Value * Total Fat 32g 40% Saturated Fat 16g 80% Cholesterol 111mg 37% Sodium 1030mg 45% Total Carbohydrate 37g 14% Dietary Fiber 2g 8% Total Sugars 4g Protein 39g 78% Vitamin C 8mg 9% Calcium 692mg 53% Iron 4mg 21% Potassium 526mg 11% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. ** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data. (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.