The Best Easy Baked pasta for a Frugal Feast
Get ready for the best baked pasta recipe you’ll ever make, straight from “The Frugal Feast.” Forget boring, complicated casseroles that take all night. This is a no-fuss, high-reward flavor bomb built for a busy weeknight. We’re talking a rich, savory meat sauce (or veggie-friendly!), gooey melted cheese, and creamy pockets of ricotta, all coming together in one amazing dish!
This recipe is the definition of affordable family cooking. It’s one of those perfect budget-friendly family meals that feeds a hungry crowd (or gives you incredible leftovers for days) without breaking the bank. We’re here to prove that cheap meals for a crowd don’t have to be boring. This easy weeknight baked ziti is hearty, satisfying, and brings 100% main character energy to your dinner table. Let’s get into it.
Note that you can also use ziti, penne or even rigatoni (which we did for our latest version as well)!
Ingredients
- 1 pound 16 oz ziti, penne or rigatoni pasta
- 1 pound ground beef or Italian or veggie sausage
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 24-28 oz jar your favorite marinara sauce
- 1 15 oz container whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups 8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
Prep work
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Get a large pot of water boiling. Salt it generously (like the sea!) and cook the pasta until just shy of al dente (check the box and cook it 1-2 minutes less). It’ll finish cooking in the oven. Drain and set aside.
- Get the Sauce Simmering
- While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it apart, until no longer pink. Drain any excess fat.
- Add the chopped onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until it starts to soften. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until you can smell it.
- Pour in the jar of marinara sauce, the dried oregano, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir it all together and let it simmer for at least 5-10 minutes for the flavors to become friends.
Layer the pasta
- In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, the egg, the Parmesan cheese, and half (1 cup) of the shredded mozzarella. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Add the cooked, drained pasta directly into the pot with the meat sauce. Stir gently to coat every noodle.
- Spread half of the pasta-and-sauce mixture into the bottom of the baking dish.
- Spoon (dollop) the entire ricotta mixture evenly over the pasta. Don’t worry about spreading it into a perfect layer—the little pockets of cheese are the best part.
- Top with the remaining pasta-and-sauce mixture.
Bake to Perfection
- Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese all over the top.
- Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the edges are bubbly.
- For a golden, crispy top (you know you want it), switch the oven to broil for the last 2-3 minutes. Watch it like a hawk so it doesn’t burn!
- Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. This is the hardest part, but it stops the whole thing from turning into casserole soup.
