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Baked Ziti with Meatballs

Dinner 🍽️Lunch 🥪 Italian 🇮🇹 High-Protein 💪Sugar-Free

Baked Ziti with Meatballs layers tender pasta, juicy meatballs, and rich marinara with creamy ricotta and melty mozzarella for a hearty, lasagna-like bite. Each forkful balances tangy tomato sauce with savory cheeses and a hint of Italian herbs. It’s a crowd-pleasing dinner perfect for busy weeknights or casual gatherings.

  • Prep15 mins
  • Cook45 mins
  • Serves8
  • DifficultyEasy
Baked Ziti with Meatballs

easyChef Pro health score

Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Baked Ziti with Meatballs, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.

41 Health Score
Glycemic ImpactFair
49 / 100
Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
Nutritional DensityPoor
16 / 100
Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
Energy DensityFair
61 / 100
Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
NOVA Processed Culinary Ingredients
2 / 4
Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.

How it scores for each health goal

The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.

24
Heart Health
71
Metabolic
41
Digestive
24
Inflammatory
44
Performance
39
General Wellness
  1. 1

    Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes less than the package directions, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta.

  2. 2

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 13x9-inch baking dish.

  3. 3

    Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook the meatballs until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add marinara sauce and ricotta cheese; stir to combine. Add the cooked pasta and stir to combine. Season with Italian seasoning and garlic powder.

  4. 4

    Cover the bottom of the prepared baking dish with a layer of sauce without meatballs. Sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella cheese on top. Add another layer of sauce with meatballs and sprinkle with 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese. Add another layer of 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Add the remaining sauce and meatball mixture on top, then the remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.

  5. 5

    Bake in the preheated oven until the cheese is melted, 20 to 30 minutes.

  6. 6

    Remove the foil and bake until the cheese begins to turn golden brown, 10 to 20 minutes. Enjoy!

About This Recipe

Baked Ziti with Meatballs is an Italian dinner recipe made with 8 ingredients. It takes about 1 hr, serves 8, and is rated easy. Key ingredients include Garlic Powder, Grated Parmesan Cheese, Italian Seasoning, and Marinara Sauce. Each serving provides about 720.99 kcal, and is a good source of protein.

Recipe Questions

What is Baked Ziti with Meatballs?
It is an Italian meatball recipe made with 8 ingredients, usually served for dinner or lunch.
What is Baked Ziti with Meatballs made of?
The main ingredients are Garlic Powder, Grated Parmesan Cheese, Italian Seasoning, Marinara Sauce, Meatballs. The full list of 8 is above.
What goes well with Baked Ziti with Meatballs?
Explore these Italian side-dish recipes.
How long does it take to make Baked Ziti with Meatballs?
About 1 hr in total: 15 mins to prepare and 45 mins to cook.
How many calories are in one serving?
One serving provides about 720.99 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
Is Baked Ziti with Meatballs easy to make?
This recipe is rated easy, with 8 ingredients and 6 steps.
Is Baked Ziti with Meatballs healthy?
Baked Ziti with Meatballs has an easyChef Pro health score of 41/100. Per serving, it provides 720.99 calories and 42.32 g of protein, or 85% of the Daily Value. It is a good source of dietary fiber, calcium, iron and potassium. Worth noting per serving: sodium at 1663.97 mg (72% of the Daily Value) and saturated fat at 16.15 g (81% of the Daily Value). It contains Milk, Wheat, Gluten, Tomatoes and Garlic, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.

How easyChef Pro scores recipes and products

easyChef Pro analyzes up to 41 nutrients using data sourced from USDA and other verified food databases. Its scoring method uses the nutrients relevant to nutrition quality, calorie density, processing level, and your selected health goal. Recipes and food products get a health score from 0 to 100, calculated using consistent rules instead of being estimated by AI. The same nutrition data, serving size and health goal will produce the same result.

The calculation evaluates nutrients, calorie density, processing level, and how well the food supports your selected health goal. Protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients can strengthen the score. High amounts of sodium, saturated fat, added sugar and other nutrients may lower it.

Your health goal also matters. easyChef Pro evaluates recipes and products across six health areas and adjusts their importance for your selected goal. This means the same food may be a better fit for one health goal than another.

For recipes, changing an ingredient, quantity or serving size changes the nutrition and may change the score. Remix the recipe in easyChef Pro to calculate fresh nutrition and scores for the version you actually make. Product scores are based on the nutrition and serving information associated with that specific product.

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