• THE SHOP!
  • ABOUT ME
    • Why is it called Our Home Made Easy?
    • START HERE
    • CONTACT
    • PR Advertising Info
    • DISCLAIMER
  • Ultimate Resources for Working Moms
  • FREEBIES!
    • Free Working Moms Life Hacks Challenge
    • 6 Week Declutter Challenge Mini Course
    • Pretty Printables Library
  • One on One COACHING
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
Our Home Made Easy

Our Home Made Easy

Helping working moms create extraordinary homes the easy way!

  • Recipes
    • Appetizer
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Dessert
    • Drinks
  • Home Decor
    • Entry
    • Kitchen
    • Living Room
    • Bathroom
    • Bedroom
    • Dining Room
    • Laundry
    • Room Reveals
    • Shopping
  • Seasonal
    • Birthdays
    • Fall
    • Christmas
    • Spring
    • Summer
  • Organization
    • Productivity
    • Cleaning
    • Meal Planning
    • The Ultimate Home Binder
  • Do It Yourself
  • SHOP
  • Complete Schedule Overhaul

Easy Cheesy Baked Ziti

Dinner, RECIPES

Sharing is caring!

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share a Tweet

A perfect Sunday night dinner! This easy baked ziti is super easy to make and feeds a large family!

An easy baked ziti recipe that is a great Sunday night dinner!

Sunday evenings are our favorite times for cooking a meal that we enjoy preparing and sharing around the dinner table. We begin our Sundays super ambitious with lots on the to-do lists. However, things do not always go as planned. A majority of the time we start working on projects that weren’t on the to-do list or run errands that need to be done right now.

We get tired! 

So, sometimes a casserole is perfect for those evenings where you want a homemade dinner but do not want to prep a lot or do lots of dishes. Yesterday, this was ours!

I know the recipe is called baked ziti, but we really use cavatappi pasta. The first time we made it, the cavatappi was an accident. We thought we had ziti on hand. We mistakenly had cavatappi and we thought why not give it a try?

And we haven’t gone back, since. The cavatappi makes for fun shapes and holds up extremely well in this dish. Sure you could use ziti, but why not add a little fun?

When you combine the cheese and the pasta, mix them together just enough that you do not damage the pasta. I cook the pasta al dente so it’s still firm and sturdy enough for the pasta. I’m usually in a hurry and am heavy handed in mixing it all together. Thankfully the cavatappi forgives me by not breaking apart.

 

Easy Baked Cavatappi

Easy Cheesy Baked Ziti

Yield: 12 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Baked Ziti is a delicious, classic Italian dinner that is easy to toss together for a weeknight dinner.

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces Uncooked Ziti 
  • 2 pounds Ground Beef
  • 24 ounces Spaghetti Sauce
  • 1/2 cup Water
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 15 ounces Ricotta Cheese
  • 3  cups  Shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
  2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°. In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.
  3.  Stir spaghetti sauce into the skillet with meat. Add water and stir to combine.
  4. In a very large bowl, combine eggs, ricotta cheese, 2 cups mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan cheese. 
  5. Drain pasta; add to cheese mixture and stir until blended.
  6. Spoon a third of the meat sauce into a greased 13x9-inch baking dish; top with half of the pasta mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining meat sauce.
  7. Cover with foil and bake 50 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160°. 
  8. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
© Brittany
Cuisine: Italian / Category: Main Course
 
 

Cheesy baked ziti makes a delicious and easy Italian dinner

Before you start building the layers, make sure to lightly grease the bottom of the pan. I strongly detest scrubbing casserole dishes. Seriously, it’s a pet peeve. A lightly greased pan gives zero scrubbing headache. The layers start to build up and look pretty!

An hour later and we are ready. In the last few minutes, I turn on the broiler to give the cheese a nice bubbly appearance.

 

Other Posts I Think You’ll Enjoy:

  • Ham and Cheesy Potato Casserole
  • The Surefire Way You Need To Make Freezer Meals In Minutes
  • 28 Quick & Easy 30 Minute Meals

 

Easy Baked Cavatappi is a perfect weeknight dinner. It's easy, cheesy, and simply delicious!

 

PIN FOR LATER:

This a perfect Sunday night dinner! This easy baked ziti is super easy to make and feeds a large family! Click to see the recipe #dinner #pasta #dinnerecipe #italian #cheese #yum

This easy baked ziti is super easy to make and feeds a large family! Click to see the recipe #dinner #pasta #dinnerecipe #italian #cheese #yum

 
 

Sharing is caring!

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share a Tweet

May 16, 2016 · 1 Comment

About Brittany

I’m a busy mom of two little ones who is constantly looking for the yummiest meals that are quick to make for school nights. I am a big fangirl of chalk paint projects because they make my DIY skills look amazing– even though I’m not a pro. I believe in creating routines to keep our days in check– even if they change each season! I completely understand what it’s like to be a Type A personality who tries to plan all the things, but still, wonder where to simply start.I’m a huge fan of not being Pinterest perfect. I prefer done over perfect any day.

« Tips for Meal Planning When Your Husband is Traveling
Why is it called Our Home Made Easy? »

Comments

  1. Miz Helen says

    May 28, 2016 at 1:58 pm

    Congratulations!
    Your recipe is in the TOP TEN features for this week on Full Plate Thursday. Enjoy your new Red Plate and your weekend!
    Miz Helen

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Brittany WiseHi, I'm Brittany. I am a full time working mama who loves helping everyday women create extraordinary homes the easy way!
More about me

Let’s Connect

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Looking For Something?

  • THE SHOP!
  • ABOUT ME
  • Ultimate Resources for Working Moms
  • FREEBIES!
  • One on One COACHING

Copyright

Sharing is always appreciated! Please keep in mind that all images and text on this site are property of Our Home Made Easy. You are more than welcome to to use a photo from the blog but please link back to the original post. Please do not remove any watermarks, crop, or edit any of my images without first obtaining written permission from me. Pinning is always welcome and appreciated! Thank you!

Browse by Category

Browse By Date:

Amazon Associates Disclosure

Our Home Made Easy is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

· © 2021 Our Home Made Easy LLC · Privacy Policy