Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 2 ounces dried ziti ((or penne pasta))
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ cup chopped onions
  • 1 clove garlic (, minced)
  • 4 ounces ground beef
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt (, divided)
  • ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes ((optional))
  • 1 cup Marinara Sauce ( or tomato sauce (plus 2 tablespoons for the bottom of the dish))
  • ⅓ cup ricotta cheese
  • 6 tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese (, divided)
  • 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (, divided)

Instruction

  • Heat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). While the oven is heating, bring a medium sized pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender. Drain and set pasta aside.
  • Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, ground beef, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until meat is cooked through and no longer pink, about 8 minutes.
  • Stir in the Marinara sauce and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, stir in the cooked pasta and set pan aside.
  • Combine the ricotta, 2 tablespoons of the mozzarella cheese, 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Fold into the pasta/meat sauce mixture.
  • Spoon 2 tablespoons of Marinara sauce into a lightly greased 5-inch baking dish; top with half of the pasta/meat mixture. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of shredded mozzarella over the noodles.
  • Add the rest of the meat sauce and noodles and top with 2 tablespoons of mozzarella cheese and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese.
  • Cover and bake on the middle rack of the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
  • Remove the baking dish from the oven and let cool 10 minutes before eating.