READY IN 50 mins

Baked Ziti III

Read Reviews (723)

"A delicious side or main dish with beef, basil and lots of cheese. You can substitute the beef for Italian sausage or add a combination. Serve with crusty warm bread and a green salad, if desired." — VERDIEIIIS

Directions

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
In a large skillet, brown beef over medium heat. Add onions; saute until tender. Drain off fat and add spaghetti sauce; simmer for about 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a lightly greased 2 quart baking dish, place about half of the pasta; top with a layer of provolone and mozzarella cheese slices. Spread on a layer of half the spaghetti sauce mixture and sour cream.
Cover with remaining pasta, cheese and sauce; sprinkle a layer of Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until cheese and sauce are bubbly; serve.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 20 mins
COOK 30 mins
READY IN 50 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Jan 23, 2007

Great recipe. I took the advice of another and tossed the ziti with the sour cream before layering. I will NEVER skip this step. The noodles stayed creamy and delicious. I browned ground pork, used left over ground beef, garlic and onion. I didn't have provolone so topped every layer with parmesan. I didn't need 2 jars of sauce as others said they did. very good.

—spin12

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Mar 08, 2011

This was just OK. I thought the addition of sourcream took away from the "Italianess" of the dish. I love ziti but won't be making it this way again.

—LISA

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946 Ratings

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Aug 28, 2005

I wish I could rate this 10star!!! I made this exactly per the recipe, only change I made was extra cheese, my family loves italian cheeses, other that I did it exactly. I made this on friday night, and we have eaten 6 meals from this one dish! And it tastes better and better every time. My only recommendation is to use a 3 or maybe even 4 quart dish, for I used a 3 qt and it very nearly overflowed the dish, maybe cause of all the extra cheese I used! I will make this a regular menu item in my home, it was a huge hit!

—Mare

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Jan 23, 2007

Aside from a fabulous recipe, this was SO fast. My boyfriend raved about it and so did I. Made a nice 9x13 FULL of ziti. Great for a family style meal with several guests or a pot luck. Some tips: As suggested by other reviews I seasoned the ground beef with italian seasoning and added minced garlic. To give this recipe a real italian flare, I bought spaghetti sauce with italian sausage already inside so I didnt have to buy and cook sausage too. It turned out just right.. not too overpowering. I also added a small amount of the sauce to cover the first layer of ziti as suggested by another review and it came out perfect.. I think it might have been too dry on the bottom otherwise. A large skillet was too small for all of the spaghetti sauce. I had to transfer it to a large pot. An electric skillet might be big enough.. This recipe fills a 9x13 to the brim so make sure you dont use anything smaller. I also baked this uncovered on the center rack with no isses and the cheese came out nice and golden brown. Definitely will make this again!!

—~Elizabeth~

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Sep 22, 2008

I read the reviews and decided to be a little creative. I mixed the ziti with sour cream, ricotta, 1 egg, and 1 jar of the spaghetti sauce. I used Italian sausage and browned it with onion and garlic. I drained the fat off and added the remaining jar of spaghetti sauce. I sprayed a deep baking pan with olive oil spray and then added a layer of ziti, sausage mixture, shredded mozzarella cheese, sliced provolone topped off with sliced pepperoni. I repeated the layers, except for the pepperoni, and topped it off with the parmesan and the fresh basil. I also made an extra pan of this for a friend. Everyone raved about how good it was! I was surprised when my pasta hating son had two helpings! I am giving this 5 stars because it is an excellent base recipe. Thank you!

—iluvmyangylrose

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May 03, 2011

This was great as it was written!

—kathyj2008

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May 02, 2011

This is for kathyj2008. I totally agree with you. My pet peeve is people that rate it high or low and then follow up with so many changes that it is nothing like the original. I like to hear what they did or did not like because that helps me evaluate it considering my tastes. I thought this was an all around good recipe.

—Linda M

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May 04, 2011

I have been making this recipe for several years and it is excellent. Have given the recipe out many times. Sour cream is MUCH less expensive than riccotta cheese, and many guests do not believe that there isnt riccotta in this ziti. The only things I do different is that I use an 8oz package of each of the cheese and I assemble differently. While the pasta is cooking, I brown the beef and onion, drain and mix the 2 jars of sauce with the meat...simmer until pasta is all done. After draining the pasta, I mix it with the meat/sauce. Time to layer...half meat/sauce/pasta, layer all the provolone, spread a container of sour cream, then rest of meat/sauce/pasta, all the mozz cheese, and a sprinkle of parm cheese. Bake about 30-45 minutes until hot. NEVER dry and just amazing in taste. My old family ziti recipe has gone out the window!

—Barb

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Nutrition

Calories
761 kcal
38%

Carbohydrates
74.9 g
24%

Cholesterol
96 mg
32%

Fat
34.4 g
53%

Fiber
7.9 g
32%

Protein
36.2 g
72%

Sodium
1258 mg
50%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Baked Ziti III

Serving Size: 1/8 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 761
Calories from Fat: 310

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 34.4g 53 %
Saturated Fat 17.3g 86 %
Cholesterol 96mg 32 %
Sodium 1258mg 50 %
Potassium 954mg 27 %
Total Carbohydrates 74.9g 24 %
Dietary Fiber 7.9g 32 %
Protein 36.2g 72 %
Sugars 19.4g
Vitamin A 32 %
Vitamin C 9 %
Calcium 55 %
Iron 45 %
** Thiamin 44 %
Niacin 153 %
Vitamin B6 36 %
Magnesium 34 %
Folate 80 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.