📖 Instructions

1. 1. Gather Your Ingredients & Preheat: First things first, get all your ingredients ready on the counter. Trust me, it makes everything smoother and less hectic when you're in the thick of it! Now, preheat your oven to a good, warm 375°F (190°C). Grab your trusty 9x13-inch oven-safe baking dish – this is the perfect size for a standard batch – and lightly spray it with cooking spray, or grease it with a bit of olive oil to prevent sticking.
2. 2. Cook the Ziti Pasta: Fill a large pot with water, add a generous pinch of salt (seriously, salt your pasta water like the sea; it adds so much flavor to the pasta itself!), and bring it to a rapid, rolling boil. Add your 1 pound of ziti pasta and cook it according to the package directions, but always aim for al dente. This means it should still have a slight bite to it, maybe even a minute or two less than the package suggests. Remember, it'll finish cooking in the oven, and we definitely don't want mushy pasta! Once done, drain it well in a colander and set aside. Resist the urge to rinse it; the starch helps the sauce cling!
3. 3. Start the Sauce (Meat Version): While your pasta cooks, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add your 1 pound of ground beef or Italian sausage. Break it up with a wooden spoon or spatula, stirring frequently, and cook until it's nicely browned all over. This usually takes about 5-7 minutes. Once cooked, carefully drain off any excess fat – this is a crucial step for a less greasy, lighter sauce. If you're going vegetarian, you can skip this step entirely, or instead, sauté some finely diced mushrooms or bell peppers now for a savory base!
4. 4. Build the Flavor Base: To the browned meat (or sautéed veggies if vegetarian), add your chopped medium onion. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and turns translucent. It should look a bit glassy. Next, toss in the 3 cloves of minced garlic and cook for just another minute until it smells wonderfully fragrant. Be super careful not to burn the garlic; burnt garlic tastes bitter and will affect the entire sauce, and nobody wants that in their comforting ziti.
5. 5. Simmer the Marinara: Pour in your 28-ounce jar of marinara sauce (your favorite brand works perfectly!) and the optional 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes if you like a chunkier sauce. Add the 1 teaspoon of dried basil, 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano, 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (only if you like a little kick!), and a tiny pinch of 1/2 teaspoon of sugar to help balance the acidity of the tomatoes. Stir everything together until well combined. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it cook for at least 15-20 minutes. This allows all those beautiful flavors to meld and deepen. Give it a stir every now and then to prevent sticking.
6. 6. Prepare the Cheese Layer: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the 15 ounces of ricotta cheese, one large egg, half of the 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup of fresh chopped parsley, and a good pinch of salt and black pepper to taste. Mix it all up until it's well combined and creamy. The egg acts as a binder, helping the ricotta hold its shape and creating a lovely, creamy layer that won't totally disappear during baking.
7. 7. Time to Assemble! This is where the magic really starts to happen, seeing all your hard work come together. Grab your prepared 9x13-inch baking dish. Spread about 1 cup of the meat sauce (or plain marinara for vegetarian) on the very bottom of the dish. This serves a dual purpose: it prevents the pasta from sticking and creates a flavorful base for the layers above.
8. 8. First Layer of Pasta: Evenly spread half of the cooked ziti pasta over the sauce in the baking dish. Try to get an even layer so every bite is consistent.
9. 9. Ricotta Layer: Carefully dollop spoonfuls of the ricotta cheese mixture over the pasta layer. You don't need to spread it perfectly or make it look neat; it will melt and spread beautifully during baking, creating pockets of creamy goodness.
10. 10. More Sauce & Cheese: Pour about half of the remaining meat sauce over the ricotta layer. Then, sprinkle half of the 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese generously on top of that. This is the first taste of that signature cheesy pull!
11. 11. Repeat Layers: Add the rest of the ziti pasta to form another layer. Follow this with the remaining ricotta mixture (again, dollop it on top!), and then cover that with the rest of the meat sauce. Build it up!
12. 12. The Grand Finale of Cheese: Finish the entire dish with a final, generous layer of the remaining shredded mozzarella and the rest of the grated Parmesan cheese. This top layer is what will get wonderfully golden, bubbly, and irresistible, forming that perfect crust everyone fights over!
13. 13. Bake to Perfection (Covered): Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Pop it into your preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes. Covering it is key here; it helps everything heat through evenly, allows the flavors to steam together, and keeps the pasta and cheese moist and tender.
14. 14. Golden Brown Finish (Uncovered): After 25 minutes, carefully remove the foil. Be cautious of the hot steam escaping! Return the dish to the oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese on top is beautifully melted, bubbly, and has achieved that tempting, slightly golden brown crust. If you're a fan of a really deep golden, almost crispy, cheese crust, you can even switch on the broiler for the last 1-2 minutes, but watch it *very* closely; broilers can char things in a blink!
15. 15. Rest and Serve: This step is absolutely crucial, even though it's the hardest part because of how amazing it smells! Remove the baked ziti from the oven and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. This allows the layers to set properly, making it much easier to scoop out neat, structured portions without it falling apart into a soupy mess. Garnish with some fresh basil or parsley if you're feeling fancy and want that extra pop of color and freshness. Now, finally, enjoy your very own dinner hero! You earned it.