dee dee's meaty baked ziti

How To Make dee dee's meaty baked ziti

• 1

  Preheat oven to 375. Grease a large baking dish. NOTE: I used a 9 X 15 inch pan and I needed a larger pan. There was a little zitz and sauce left over.
• 2

  Heat olive oil in large pot over a medium heat. Add onion, pepper, and garlic; saute until tender.
• 3

  (Break up the Italian sausage). Add beef and sausage to sauteed veggies; brown meat and drain off grease.
• 4

  Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, red pepper flakes, italian seasoning, basil, fennel seed, salt and pepper; bring to simmer and reduce heat. Simmer over med/low heat for 20 minutes covered. Remove lid and simmer another 20 minutes, stirring occassionally to thicken. Taste test and add additional seasoning if desired.
• 5

  Cook ziti until not quite Al Dente. Drain ziti and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.
• 6

  In a large bowl mix ricotta, parmesan and egg; add mozzella (save 1 cup for topping) and provolone cheeses. Stir to combine. This mixture will be thick.
• 7

  Place 1/2 of noodles in large baking pan with all the noodles laying same direction. This takes a little time, but makes a really pretty presentation when you serve.
• 8

  With a cookie or ice cream scoop, place dollups of the ricotta mixture over the pasta reserving 1/2 for the 2nd layer. Spoon 1/2 of the meat mixture over cheese. Repeat layer. Top with the reserved cup of mozzarella.
• 9

  Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until you see bubbling around the edges. Remove from oven and let set for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
• Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
• Printable Recipe Card