Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce

Baked Siti with Meat Sauce served and garnished with shredded mozzarella and Italian parsley.

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This classic baked ziti with meat sauce is layered with cottage cheese, mozzarella, and parmesan for a rich, cheesy comfort food favorite — no ricotta or egg needed.

Prep Time20

Cook Time40

Total Time1

Course: Dinner, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Comfort Food, Italian

Servings: Servings

Calories: 451kcal

Author: Jeremy Klae

Ingredients

2 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Yellow Onion
8 Oz Mushrooms Sliced
3.8 Oz Black Olives Sliced
1 tablespoon Garlic Minced
1 lb Ground Italian Sausage
1 lb Lean Ground Beef
28 Oz San Marzano Tomatoes Crushed
2 - 15 Oz Fire Roasted Tomato Sauce Canned
1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
6 Basil Leaves Fresh, Chopped
2 teaspoon Dark Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 teaspoon Black Pepper Coarse, Ground
2 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper
16 Oz Ziti
1 Cup Mozzarella Finely Shredded
1 Cup Parmesan Grated
1 Cup Cottage Cheese Drained

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F, chopping the fresh basil, dicing the onions, and boiling the ziti just before al dente.
Once the pasta is done boiling, strain and rinse it to stop the cooking process.
In a cast-iron skillet or large pan, add the olive oil and sauté the onions until they soften.
Add the mushrooms and continue cooking until the onions and mushrooms are browning.
Add the garlic and sauté for about another minute, until fragrant.
Begin browning the Ground Beef and Italian Sausage with the onion and mushroom mixture.
Once the meat is browned, pour in the crushed San Marzano tomatoes and the fire-roasted tomato sauce, stirring to distribute the meat, mushroom, and onion mixture evenly.
Stir in the Dark brown sugar, basil, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper.
Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the black olives.
Add a layer of meat sauce to the bottom of a 4-quart deep baking dish, followed by a layer of cooked ziti, a thin layer of cottage cheese, then shredded mozzarella and grated parmesan.
Repeat these layers until the entire baking dish is full, and top it all off with any remaining noodles and cheese.
Cover the dish and bake for 30 minutes. Once the 30-minute mark has passed, remove the lid and place the baked ziti under the broiler set to low (550°F) for about 6-8 minutes, or until the top is browned to your liking.
Let the dish rest for at least 10 minutes before serving and enjoy.

Video

Notes

Don’t Overcook the Pasta. Cook it just to al dente. It will continue cooking in the oven.

Let It Rest Before Cutting. Allowing the baked ziti to sit for about 10 minutes helps it set and slice cleanly.

Strain the Cottage Cheese First. Cottage cheese contains more moisture than ricotta. Straining it before layering prevents the baked ziti from becoming watery and helps the casserole set perfectly.

Make It Ahead. Assemble the dish up to 24 hours in advance, cover tightly, and refrigerate before baking.

Freeze for Later. This freezes beautifully. Assemble, wrap tightly, and freeze unbaked for up to 3 months.

No Egg Needed. Unlike traditional ricotta mixtures, this version doesn’t require egg. The cheese sets naturally as it bakes, keeping the texture creamy rather than dense.

Don’t Overmix the Layers. Layer the cottage cheese gently instead of spreading it too aggressively. You want distinct creamy pockets throughout the baked ziti

Nutrition