This Baked Ziti with Ground Beef is an easy, oven-baked pasta casserole with layers of saucy meat, pasta, and melted cheese. The best part? It uses everyday ingredients, comes together with minimal prep, and bakes into the kind of bubbling, cozy dish that can feed a crowd without any extra fuss.

For the longest time, I didn’t know what to call this. Is it baked ziti? A pasta bake? Lasagna’s less fussy cousin? I hadn’t grown up with an official name for it, just the memory of cheesy, tomatoey pasta that fogs up your glasses when you open the oven door.

“Casserole” felt too vague. “Lasagna” wasn’t quite right, no careful layers, no delicate assembly. And “baked pasta” didn’t quite capture that moment when the cheese stretches with every scoop and everyone starts hovering around the kitchen waiting for it to cool just enough to dig in.

In the end, Baked Ziti with Ground Beef fits what this really is: familiar, grounding, and incredibly satisfying. It’s rich without being complicated, generous without trying to be fancy. It shows up strong at family dinners, potlucks, casual gatherings, and the quiet nights when you just need a pan of something warm, bubbly, and comforting on the table.

Ingredients in Baked Ziti With Ground Beef

This ingredient setup stays practical and friendly, which makes the recipe easy to return to again and again.

How to Make Baked Ziti With Ground Beef

This recipe builds in calm stages and comes together without stress.

1. Cook the pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season generously with salt. Add the pasta and cook until just tender. Keep it slightly firm since it will finish cooking in the oven. Drain well and set aside.

2. Crisp the pancetta

Heat a wide skillet over medium heat. Add pancetta and cook until lightly crisp. Stir often so it browns evenly and releases its flavor into the pan.

3. Brown the meat and onion

Add ground beef or Italian sausage along with chopped onion. Cook while breaking the meat apart until fully browned and the onion softens. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

4. Add garlic and seasoning

Stir in garlic, red pepper flakes, basil, and Italian seasoning. Cook briefly until fragrant and well mixed.

5. Simmer the sauce

Pour in the marinara sauce and stir until smooth. Lower the heat and let it simmer so the flavors blend and mellow.

6. Combine pasta and sauce

Add the drained pasta directly into the skillet. Stir gently until every piece is coated evenly with sauce.

7. Layer the bake

Spoon half of the pasta mixture into a baking dish. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Add the remaining pasta and finish with the rest of the cheese.

8. Bake until bubbly

Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F until the cheese melts and bubbles. Let it rest briefly before serving.

How to Serve Baked Ziti With Ground Beef

This dish loves simple sides. A crisp green salad brings balance and freshness. Warm garlic bread fits naturally beside it and helps scoop up extra sauce.

Leftovers taste even better the next day. The pasta absorbs more flavor overnight and reheats beautifully. I like serving it straight from the baking dish at the table so everyone helps themselves.

Recipe Tips

Salt the pasta water well to build flavor from the start.
Cook the pasta slightly firm so it holds up in the oven.
Let the sauce simmer long enough to blend fully.
Use freshly shredded cheese for smoother melting.
Rest the dish briefly after baking so it sets cleanly.