Skillet Baked Ziti
Easy skillet baked ziti takes some of the extra pots and pans out of baked ziti by cooking the meat and sauce in a cast iron skillet. Adding the sauce ziti and cheese directly to the skillet cancels out the need for an extra baking dish, making this dish feel effortless. This comforting pasta casserole is the perfect pasta recipe to serve to company or gift to a friend in need of a little extra love.
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Skillet baked ziti is a great meal for when you really want a comforting dish in a hurry.
Ready much faster than some of the best baked zitis out there, you can serve this on the weekend or a weeknight to feed a hungry family.
It also makes a great meal to share with others.
You can drop this off at a friend’s house if they are going through some tough times or bring it to a gathering to share.
Ingredients and Kitchen Supplies
Here’s what you’ll need to make skillet baked ziti:
- Ground beef – We used lean, but you can use whatever kind you prefer. You can even use turkey or ground chicken if you prefer.
- Spices – For the meat, we used red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, garlic powder, and basil.
- Olive oil – This helps to keep the meat from sticking to the pan.
- Ziti – You could use penne or rigatoni if you do not have ziti.
- Ricotta – This helps to add a creamy texture and flavor and is needed for the best baked ziti.
- Tomato puree – This is a shortcut to making your own sauce. You could also used crushed tomatoes or canned tomato sauce if you prefer.
- Garlic – You will want to use minced, diced, or crushed garlic cloves.
- Parmesan cheese – This gives a salty, slightly nutty flavor to the baked ziti.
To make the baked ziti, we used a cast iron skillet because you can brown the meat on the stove top and then place the whole skillet into the oven.
You could also use another oven safe skillet if you prefer.
Tips for Making Skillet Baked Ziti
- Use the largest cast iron skillet you have available. I used a 12″ skillet. If you don’t have a large enough skillet, just transfer all the individual components into a baking dish.
- Use lean ground beef. I used 90/10. If using beef that isn’t lean, drain the excess fat off the pan before adding the tomato puree.
- Season all layers of the baked ziti individually. Because you add seasoning to each layer, use less salt than you think you need to avoid over salting the dish.
- Most importantly, don’t be intimidated by the ingredients list or the lengthy instructions. No part of this skillet ziti is difficult.
- Want to make your life easier? If you plan to make a ziti, make a big batch of homemade sauce earlier in the week.
Looking for other easy meals? Try these:
- Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Beef and Quinoa Taco Skillet
- Lemon Pesto Chicken Orzo Skillet
- Roasted Southwestern Steak and Baby Potatoes
- Parmesan Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Looking for other hearty pasta recipes? Try these:
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Ingredients
For the meat sauce
- 1 pound of lean ground beef
- 6 cloves of garlic pressed
- pinch of salt
- pepper to taste
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 29 ounces of tomato puree
- 1/2 tsp basil
- 1/2 cup of pasta water
For the cheese filling
- 15 ounces part skim ricotta cheese
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
To assemble the ziti
- 2 cups Italian or mozzarella cheese divided
- 12 ounces of penne ziti, or rigatoni
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package and set aside.
- While preparing the pasta, heat a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef to the hot skillet. Season with pressed garlic, a pinch of salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook until brown all the way through, about 10 minutes. Pour in the tomato puree. Bring to a slow simmer and sprinkle in the basil. Continue to simmer while you assemble the cheese.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the ricotta, tablespoon of olive oil, Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Stir the pasta water into the sauce. Spoon the cooked pasta into the meat sauce and stir until mixed. Stir in half of the shredded mozzarella or Italian cheese blend until evenly distributed. Spoon the ricotta mixture into the noodles, distributing spoonfuls of the ricotta throughout the skillet without over mixing. Top the skillet contents with the remaining shredded cheese. Loosely cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 15 minutes or refrigerate to bake later. If baking later, bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes or until the contents of the skillet are warmed through and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Enjoy.
