Pioneer Woman baked ziti from Ree Drummond layers ziti in a two-meat tomato sauce with ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan. And the casserole serves 12 at approximately 580 calories per serving in about 1 hour, since the sauce simmers while the oven preheats.
Ree uses both Italian sausage and ground beef in the sauce, then reserves 3 to 4 cups of it before mixing the rest with the pasta. So the reserved sauce goes between the layers, which keeps the top from drying out under the mozzarella while it bakes.
Stirring the cheese mixture only a couple of times and leaving large lumps is the technique most people ignore. And if you blend everything smooth, the ricotta melts evenly into the pasta instead of forming those pockets of creamy cheese that make each bite different.
Source: The Pioneer Woman (thepioneerwoman.com)
Pioneer Woman Baked Ziti
Course: DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy12
servings15
minutes45
minutes580
kcalBrowned sausage and beef simmer with whole tomatoes and tomato sauce for 25 to 30 minutes before splitting into layers. Then ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, and egg fold loosely into the cooled pasta, and two layers of everything bake at 375°F until bubbly.
Ingredients
- For the meat sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. Italian sausage
1 lb. ground beef
1 (28-oz.) can whole tomatoes, with juice
2 (14.5-oz.) cans tomato sauce or marinara sauce
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Kosher salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
- For the cheese mixture:
15 oz. whole milk ricotta cheese
1 1/2 lbs. mozzarella cheese, grated and divided
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 egg
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
- For the pasta and garnish:
16 oz. ziti or mostaccioli, cooked until not quite al dente
Freshly chopped parsley
Directions
- Sauté the aromatics: Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat, then add the onion and garlic for several minutes until softening.
- Brown the meat: Once the onion is soft, add the Italian sausage and ground beef and cook until browned.
- Drain the fat: Then pour off most of the fat, leaving a bit behind for flavor and moisture.
- Build the sauce: Once drained, add the whole tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
- Simmer the sauce: Then stir and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes until thickened.
- Reserve sauce for layering: After simmering, remove 3 to 4 cups of sauce to a bowl and let it cool.
- Preheat the oven: While the sauce cools, heat the oven to 375°F.
- Mix the cheese loosely: In a separate bowl, combine the ricotta, 2 cups mozzarella, parmesan, egg, salt, and pepper, stirring only a couple of times.
- Cool and toss the pasta: Then drain the cooked ziti, rinse under cool water, and toss with the cheese mixture so large lumps remain.
- Add the cooled meat sauce: Once the reserved sauce has cooled, add it to the pasta and cheese and toss to combine.
- Layer the first half: Then add half the coated pasta to a large casserole dish, spoon half the remaining sauce on top, and sprinkle half the remaining mozzarella.
- Layer the second half: Once the first layer is done, repeat with the rest of the pasta, sauce, and mozzarella.
- Bake the casserole: Then bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes.
- Rest and serve: Once bubbly, remove from the oven and let stand 5 minutes, then sprinkle with chopped parsley.
FAQs
Can I leave out the Italian sausage?
Ree notes on the page that you can swap the sausage for a second pound of ground beef. And the casserole still has plenty of flavor from the Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes, since those spices carry the same herby warmth.
But the sausage adds a fennel-forward depth that plain beef does not replicate on its own. So if you go all beef, stir in half a teaspoon of fennel seeds with the Italian seasoning to bring back some of that missing character, similar to how ground beef carries the flavor in her pioneer woman cheeseburger meatloaf.
Why does the recipe say to cook the pasta until not quite al dente?
The ziti bakes for another 20 minutes in the sauce, so it keeps absorbing liquid in the oven. And if you cook it fully before assembling, the noodles turn mushy and lose their shape under the cheese and sauce.
So pull the pasta about 2 minutes before the package time suggests, because it should still have a firm bite when you drain it. And rinsing under cool water stops the cooking immediately, which locks in that slightly underdone texture.
H3: What can I use instead of ricotta?
Ree suggests cottage cheese as the easiest swap on the page, and blending it first gives a smoother texture closer to ricotta. Since cottage cheese has more moisture, the sauce may loosen slightly during baking.
But do not skip the cheese layer entirely, because the ricotta mixture creates those creamy pockets between the noodles. And cream cheese works in a pinch too, though use half the amount since it is much denser and richer than ricotta.
Can I assemble this ahead and bake it later?
Ree says on the page that you can build the whole casserole up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate it covered. And a cold casserole needs about 15 extra minutes in the oven, so plan for 35 minutes total instead of 20.
But you can also freeze the assembled dish wrapped tightly in foil for up to 3 months. Then thaw it overnight in the fridge before baking, and add the same 15 extra minutes so the center heats through completely.
What sides and dessert work best with baked ziti?
Ree pairs this with pull-apart garlic bread and a Caesar salad on the source page. And the crisp lettuce and tangy dressing cut through the heavy cheese, so the meal does not feel one-note.
For dessert after a heavy pasta night, something like her pioneer woman chocolate pie balances the meal since it chills in the fridge while the ziti bakes. Or if you want a full Pioneer Woman spread, prep her pioneer woman cinnamon rolls the night before and warm them for a sweet finish alongside the pioneer woman chicken carbonara if you are serving both pasta dishes for a crowd.
