Baked Ziti
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, and cook ziti pasta until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain. In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish and layer with 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, and cook ziti pasta until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain. In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish and layer with 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.
- Carbohydrate 29.701377993544 g
- Cholesterol 95.8599165025665 mg
- Fat 16.0989309297455 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 23.6807184932702 g
- Saturated Fat 8.65573127931152 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (154g)
- Sodium 316.190720260066 mg
- Sugar 29.701377993544 g
- Trans Fat 1.4548069530943 g
- Calories 362 calories
Step-by-step
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.
- In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.
Ground beef carries the weight of this casserole, rendering fat that must be drained before the spaghetti sauce enters the pan, or the final dish will pool with grease. Lean beef minimizes excess oil, but browning the meat thoroughly over medium heat develops essential fond on the skillet floor. Cooking the ziti pasta to a strict al dente state prevents mushiness during the subsequent thirty-minute bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Because pasta continues to absorbing moisture in the oven, boiling the ziti for only eight minutes keeps the tubular noodles structurally sound.
Substitutions alter the physical behavior of the layers significantly. Ricotta cheese serves as a traditional swap for sour cream, though ricotta introduces less moisture and a grainier texture. When replacing provolone with high-moisture mozzarella throughout the interior layers, expect a softer set upon slicing. Provolone contributes distinct elasticity and sharpness that standard mozzarella lacks.
Butter the nine-by-thirteen-inch glass or ceramic baking dish thoroughly to prevent sticking at the edges. Layering the ingredients systematically ensures even heat distribution and uniform melting of the six ounces of shredded mozzarella on top. Watch for bubbling sauce around the perimeter of the pan and a golden hue on the grated parmesan before removing the dish from the oven.
