Description
A comforting pasta bake featuring tender ziti, creamy ricotta, and melted mozzarella, topped with a golden, garlic-butter breadcrumb crust.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound ziti pasta
- 24 ounces marinara sauce
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375F and lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Boil the ziti in a large pot of salted water for 2 minutes less than the package instructions. Drain the pasta.
- In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella, and half of the dried oregano.
- Return the drained pasta to the pot and stir in the marinara sauce until well coated.
- Pour half of the sauced pasta into the baking dish. Spread the ricotta mixture evenly over the top.
- Layer the remaining sauced pasta over the ricotta and top with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
- In a small bowl, mix breadcrumbs, melted butter, and garlic powder. Sprinkle this mixture over the cheese.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and the breadcrumbs are golden brown.
- Let the dish rest for 10 minutes before serving.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American