Baked Ziti
Ingredients
- 1 box Ziti Pasta, al dente
- 1 lb. ground Beef, cooked and drained
- 24 oz. Pasta Sauce
- 8 oz. Cream cheese, room temperature
- 12 oz. shredded cheese, (I like to use Italian or Mozzarella)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375F
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat. Drain off all excess grease and return the pan to low heat.
- While the beef is browning, cook the ziti pasta in a separate pot according to package directions, but pull it about two minutes early — you want it al dente, slightly underdone. It will finish cooking in the oven. Drain and set aside.
- Stir the room temperature cream cheese into the cooked ground beef until fully melted and combined. Add the pasta sauce and half the shredded cheese and stir until everything is a smooth, creamy, unified sauce.
- Add the drained ziti to the meat mixture and stir until all the pasta is coated.
- Pour the mixture into a greased 9x13 pan and top with the remaining shredded cheese.
- Cover with tin foil and bake for 20–25minutes from fresh, until hot and bubbling. If baking from frozen, allow at least 60 minutes at 375°F, checking the center for done ness.
If you are freezing this for another day make sure to place cling wrap down over the pan before your tin foil this helps to preserve the meal longer in the freezer.