- 1 lb Ground Beef
- 1 lb Ground Sausage
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 jars of marinara sauce (or sub your favorite made from scratch)
- 15 oz container whole milk ricotta cheese
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 box (16 oz) Ziti pasta
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 egg
- Parsley, minced for garnish
- Cook the pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain and set aside to cool.
- In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook 3-4 minutes until translucent, then add garlic and cook 1 more minute until fragrant. Add the ground beef and ground sausage until browned completely. Drain fat and return the meat to pan. Pour marinara sauce over your meat and stir well to combine.
- In a large bowl, mix the egg, ricotta cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella, half of the parmesan cheese (1/4 cup) with a little salt & pepper to taste. Add the cooled pasta to the bowl and toss lightly to combine.
- Add half of the pasta to a large casserole dish. Cover with half of the meat sauce mixture, then top with half of the remaining parmesan and mozzarella. Repeat with another layer of pasta, sauce and cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbling. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired and serve.
Recipe Note: If you’re not serving a crowd, divide into two 8×8 baking dishes. After ziti is cooled, you can cover well in foil and freeze the second batch. Reheat in 350 oven for 45 minutes covered, then 15-20 minutes uncovered.