Baked Ziti

This blog post has been compensated by Borden® Cheese. All opinions are mine alone. #BordenCheeseLove #CollectiveBias #Ad

 

As I’ve mentioned in the past, pasta night is a very important night in my house. Both my husband and I come from (partially) Italian backgrounds, so pasta once a week is basically a necessity.

There is something about pasta dishes that is so comforting. It’s the meal that my grandmother would make for me every time my sister and I visited, and it’s the meal we most look forward to when visiting my husband’s parents. Pasta dishes always feel like they are cooked with love, don’t they?

I also have quite a love of cheese, so baked ziti ranks pretty high on my list of favorite pasta dishes. Pasta + love + cheese = the perfect comfort food!

Food, especially cheesy food is one of the best ways to show love for those who are special to you. This weekend, I made a super cheesy, meaty, baked ziti for my husband and me, with the help of Borden® Cheese. This casserole-style dish is the perfect way to know you’ll have leftovers for later in the week, or to feed a large (or hungry) family!

This baked ziti is tossed in a ricotta-tomato mixture with ground meat. It is then topped with Borden® Cheese Mozzarella Shreds, which results in a wonderfully gooey, cheesy dish.

I found my Borden® Cheese at my local Acme, but check out this store locator to find Borden® Cheese near you. Borden® Cheese has a bunch of tasty cheese options, including Borden® Cheese Finely Shredded Four Cheese Mexican Shreds that I also picked up to use for tacos later in the week.

Ingredients:

• 1 (16 oz) box ziti
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ cup finely chopped onions
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 lb hot Italian sausage, removed from its casing
• 2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 tbsp dried parsley
• 1 tbsp dried basil
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 16 oz ricotta
• ½ cup parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
• 1 egg
• 2 cups Borden® Cheese Mozzarella Shreds
• Freshly chopped parsley, for garnish

Cook ziti according to package directions, cooking for 1 minute less than the “al dente” time listed on the box. Drain and set aside.

While waiting for your ziti to cook, add the olive oil to a large pot over medium high heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant.  Add in the ground beef and Italian sausage meat, stirring to combine and break up the meat. Cook until the meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.

Add in 1 cup beef stock and the cans of tomatoes, stirring to combine. Season with the parsley, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper.

Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. When this sauce is finished cooking, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

 

In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the ricotta, parmesan cheese, and egg.

Add the pasta to a casserole dish along with the ricotta mixture and ½ of the tomato sauce mixture, stirring to combine.

Top with the remaining sauce, followed by 2 cups Borden® Cheese Mozzarella Shreds.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes.

Top with more parmesan cheese and fresh parsley, if desired, before serving.

Yum! Each bite is filled with cheesy, meaty goodness, and dare I say, a little bit o’ love.

The ground beef/hot Italian sausage combo adds nice flavor without being spicy.

The real star of this dish is, of course, the mozzarella cheese. Just look at that yummy gooey meltiness!

This dish serves 8, but works great as a make ahead meal. I portioned out the baked ziti into individual containers and will be enjoying it all week!