Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot (5-quart minimum)
• •9x13-inch baking dish
• •Large pot for boiling pasta
• •Wooden spoon
• •Aluminum foil

Instructions

1. 1

   Brown the meats

   Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and crumbled sausage, breaking them apart with a wooden spoon. Let the meat sit undisturbed for 2 minutes to develop a proper sear before stirring. Continue cooking until deeply browned and no pink remains, about 10 minutes total. You want color here. Color means flavor. Transfer meat to a bowl, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.

   Resist the urge to stir constantly. Letting the meat sit builds the Maillard crust that gives your sauce backbone.
2. 2

   Build the aromatics

   Reduce heat to medium. Add the diced onion to the pot and cook in the rendered fat until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. The onion will pick up all those browned bits from the meat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, stirring constantly for 60 seconds until fragrant. You'll smell it shift from raw and sharp to sweet and mellow.

3. 3

   Deglaze and simmer

   Pour in the red wine and scrape up any fond clinging to the bottom of the pot. Let it bubble and reduce by half, about 3 minutes. Return the browned meat to the pot. Stir in the tomato paste, coating everything in that concentrated sweetness. Add the crushed tomatoes, dried oregano, and dried basil. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and a generous grinding of black pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low. Let the sauce bubble gently, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. It should thicken noticeably and the raw tomato taste should disappear entirely.

   A proper simmer means lazy bubbles breaking the surface every few seconds. Anything more aggressive will make the sauce bitter.
4. 4

   Prepare the ricotta mixture

   While the sauce simmers, combine the ricotta, beaten eggs, half the Parmesan, all the fresh parsley, and all the fresh basil in a large bowl. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper. Mix until thoroughly combined. The eggs will help the ricotta set during baking rather than weeping into watery puddles. This is non-negotiable.

5. 5

   Cook the pasta

   Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. It should taste like the sea. Cook the ziti for 2 minutes less than the package directs. You want it notably firm, almost chalky in the center. It will finish cooking in the oven and absorb sauce as it bakes. Drain well but don't rinse. A little starch helps everything bind.

6. 6

   Assemble the layers

   Preheat your oven to 375°F. Spread 1 cup of meat sauce across the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Layer half the cooked ziti over the sauce. Drop spoonfuls of half the ricotta mixture over the pasta and spread gently. You don't need perfection here. Scatter half the shredded mozzarella over the ricotta. Ladle half the remaining meat sauce over everything. Repeat: remaining pasta, remaining ricotta, remaining shredded mozzarella, remaining meat sauce. Top with the fresh mozzarella slices and the remaining Parmesan.

   Press down gently on each layer to eliminate air pockets. This helps the dish hold together when you serve it.
7. 7

   Bake until golden

   Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until the top is golden brown and bubbling aggressively at the edges, another 20 to 25 minutes. The fresh mozzarella should have browned spots and the sauce should be visibly percolating through any gaps in the cheese. If you want a more dramatic char, run it under the broiler for 2 minutes, watching constantly.

8. 8

   Rest and serve

   This is critical: let the ziti rest for 15 minutes before serving. I know it's difficult. The smell is extraordinary. But those 15 minutes allow the layers to set. When you cut into it, the portions will hold their shape rather than collapsing into a formless heap. Serve with extra Parmesan at the table and crusty bread to mop up the sauce.

Chef Tips

• •The combination of ground beef and Italian sausage matters. Beef provides body and iron richness. Sausage brings fennel and herbs that announce themselves in every bite. Using only one or the other produces a flatter, less interesting sauce.
• •Low-moisture mozzarella is your workhorse here. It melts beautifully and browns without releasing pools of liquid. Save the fresh mozzarella for the top layer where its milky delicacy can shine.
• •Don't skip the wine. It adds acidity that brightens the sauce and prevents that heavy, one-note tomato flavor. If you don't cook with alcohol, substitute half a cup of beef stock mixed with a tablespoon of red wine vinegar.
• •This feeds a crowd and freezes beautifully. Assemble in disposable aluminum pans, cover tightly with plastic wrap then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking.
• •Pair with a medium-bodied Italian red. Montepulciano d'Abruzzo or Chianti Classico both have enough acidity to cut through the richness without overwhelming the dish.

Advance Preparation

• •The meat sauce can be made up to 4 days ahead and refrigerated. It thickens as it sits, so thin with a splash of water when reheating.
• •The entire dish can be assembled, covered, and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking. Add 10 minutes to the covered baking time if going directly from refrigerator to oven.
• •Leftovers keep refrigerated for 5 days. Reheat individual portions in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes or microwave until heated through. The microwave won't give you a crispy top, but it's Wednesday and nobody's judging.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 260g)