Baked Ziti Plus
Baked Ziti Plus layers tender rigatoni with a hearty tomato sauce packed with ground beef, Italian sausage, peppers, and onions. Ricotta and plenty of mozzarella melt throughout and on top, delivering a bubbly, cheesy bake with savory depth and a hint of sweetness from slow-simmered tomatoes. It’s a crowd-pleasing casserole perfect for family dinners, potlucks, or cozy weekends.
- Prep20 mins
- Cook3 hrs 55 mins
- Serves16
- DifficultyMedium
- 1
Warm olive oil in a stockpot over medium-low heat; cook and stir the garlic in the hot oil until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes.
- 2
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- 3
Cook and stir the beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes; drain and discard the grease.
- 4
Stir the ground beef into the garlic.
- 5
Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato puree to the ground beef mixture; season with salt and pepper.
- 6
Cover the stockpot and simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, until the flavors have blended, about 2 hours.
- 7
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- 8
Cook the sausage links in the hot skillet until browned and no longer pink in the center, 10 to 15 minutes; drain and discard the grease.
- 9
Slice the sausages into 1/4-inch rounds.
- 10
Stir the sausage, green bell pepper, and onion into the simmering tomato sauce; cook, stirring occasionally, until the bell pepper and onion are softened, about 1 hour.
- 11
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- 12
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
- 13
Cook the rigatoni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until cooked through but slightly firm, 10 to 11 minutes.
- 14
Drain and return the rigatoni to the pot.
- 15
Dice about 3/4 of the mozzarella into 1/8-inch cubes.
- 16
Mix the cubed mozzarella with the ricotta cheese in a bowl.
- 17
Stir the cheese mixture into the cooked rigatoni until the mozzarella begins to melt.
- 18
Pour the rigatoni-cheese mixture into 2 large casserole dishes; add the tomato-meat sauce.
- 19
Toss well.
- 20
Slice the remaining mozzarella cheese and arrange it on top of the rigatoni mixtures.
- 21
Bake in the preheated oven until the mozzarella cheese is melted and browned, about 45 minutes.
- Calories 591.3 kcal High
- Protein 37.39 g Good Source
- Carbs 25.63 g Moderate
- Total Fat 39.31 g High
- Saturated Fat 15.72 g High
- Trans Fat 0.08 g High
- Cholesterol 130.75 mg High
- Sodium 1001.3 mg High
- Fiber 5.05 g Moderate
- Sugar 10.25 g High
- Added Sugar 0.19 g Low Source
- Calcium 333.6 mg Good Source
- Iron 4.11 mg Good Source
- Potassium 816.35 mg Moderate
- Vitamin A 218.49 mcg_rae Good Source
- Vitamin C 12.81 mg Moderate
- Vitamin D 0.04 mcg Low Source
Values are per serving. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
- Milk 🥛
- Wheat 🌾
- Gluten
- Tomatoes 🍅
- Garlic 🧄
- Onions 🧅
About This Recipe
Baked Ziti Plus is an Italian dinner recipe made with 12 ingredients. It takes about 4 hrs 15 mins, serves 16, and is rated medium. Key ingredients include Crushed Tomatoes, Garlic, Green Bell Pepper, and Ground Beef. Each serving provides about 591.3 kcal, and is a good source of protein.
Recipe Questions
- What is Baked Ziti Plus?
- It is an Italian recipe made with 12 ingredients, usually served for dinner or lunch.
- What is Baked Ziti Plus made of?
- The main ingredients are Crushed Tomatoes, Garlic, Green Bell Pepper, Ground Beef, Italian Pork Sausage. The full list of 12 is above.
- What goes well with Baked Ziti Plus?
- Explore these Italian side-dish recipes.
- How long does it take to make Baked Ziti Plus?
- About 4 hrs 15 mins in total: 20 mins to prepare and 3 hrs 55 mins to cook.
- How many calories are in one serving?
- One serving provides about 591.3 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
- Is Baked Ziti Plus easy to make?
- This recipe is rated medium, with 12 ingredients and 21 steps.
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