Enjoy all of the goodness of baked ziti with a fraction of the prep work! You don’t have to boil the noodles or brown the meat, just layer it up and bake it to perfection.
If you love baked pasta meals like lasagna and baked ziti, but hate the effort of putting them together, you are in the right place!
This recipe lets you skip the boiling and browning, that saves time and dirty dishes! You can have this family friendly dinner on the table looking like a rock star with very little prep.
Have you tried making no boil pasta recipes? It isn’t a fully new concept, I remember using no boil lasagna noodles as a kid.
But we still browned the meat. To be perfectly honest we boiled the pasta most of the time too.
Then a couple of years ago a blogging friend introduced us to no boil macaroni and cheese. We were instantly hooked.
That got me thinking that it would be easy to convert some of our favorite recipes the same way. Mimi’s baked ziti has always been a favorite, but we only make it a couple of times a year because of the preparation involved.
Don’t get me wrong, it really isn’t a complicated recipe. But after a long day the thought of boiling pasta, browning meat and layering it all to bake can seem like a bit much.
If you can cut the steps to just layering and baking it seems much more doable when you are already tired. Guess what… it works fabulously!
You can really just put it together and bake it. You can kick your feet up while it bakes.
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Then just toss together a salad or roast some broccoli and make some garlic bread while it rests. You will be extra popular at the dinner table and nobody will know you took a shortcut.
Easy Alterations or Substitutions
If the sour cream seems strange, I assure you it’s good. This has been our favorite baked ziti recipe for years.
However you could easily use ricotta cheese instead of the sour cream. Or use cottage cheese if that’s your preference. Any of those options will work great.
Storage
Store your leftover ziti in the glass dish covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
Reheat a serving of the casserole in the microwave for 30 seconds, stir, and then cook for an additional 15-30 seconds, or until hot.
No Boil Baked Ziti
Ingredients
- 16 oz uncooked ziti pasta
- 8 oz provolone cheese slices or shredded
- 1½ cups sour cream
- 1 pound ground beef
- 24 oz jar spaghetti sauce
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° F and grease a 9×13-inch pan.
- Spread half of the 16 oz uncooked ziti pasta in the bottom of the pan.
- Distribute the 8 oz provolone cheese and 1½ cups sour cream over the pasta.
- Break the 1 pound ground beef into small pieces, distribute half of them over the casserole.
- Top with remaining pasta and ground beef.
- In a large bowl mix together the 24 oz jar spaghetti sauce, 3 cups chicken broth, 2 teaspoons garlic powder and 1 teaspoon dried oregano. Pour over top of the casserole.
- Tightly cover with aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes. The pasta should be close to al dente and the meat should look cooked.
- Sprinkle the 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese and ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese over the casserole and return to the oven uncovered. Bake 10-15 more minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted and browned to your liking.
- Let rest 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Video
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Carlee,
My husband said to throw out all other ziti recipes, we love it. I had left overs for lunch at the office and everybody said it smelled wonderful, so of course I printed your recipe for them. Two of the ladies made your recipe last night and loved it. Thanks again for a great tasting and simple dinner.
You just made my day, thank you!
Has anyone tried ricotta instead of sour cream? I typically mix ricotta with egg
You could definitely use ricotta, it’s delicious that way too!
This was perfect for a lazy dinner night at my MILs. A great way to clean out the pantry with almost no prep and it was delish! Thank you for sharing this with the world.
If you didn’t use any meat do you think I should cook it less or still the same amount of time for the noodles to cook? Also, have you tried it with Gluten free noodles by any chance?
I have not tried with gluten free noodles, but if the cook time is similar I think it should work. Cook it the same amount of time without the meat.
I saw how you did the meat but there has to be a bunch of grease in the meal.
If you use a good lean ground beef, there isn't that much grease.
How do you chop up the meat before putting it in the oven AND doesn't the grease from the meat make the dish very greasy?
I just use my fingers to take little bits of the meat. Use a lean beef and it doesn't give off much grease.
Your video is great! I love that you don't have to brown the meat first or boil the pasta. And this recipe sounds delicious. It looks like another keeper.
Thank you! The no boil and no brown makes it so quick and easy!
I want to try this out Carlee. I love that you don’t have to boil the pasta or fry the meat. Thanks for this easy recipe idea.
I hope you enjoy it, Julie! Thank you!
Mmmm baked ziti! Dump and bake sounds sooo fabulous and this sounds delicious!
It's so much less work than the traditional version, but tastes just like it!
Oh my. I bet this is really good and I love that there are no extra dishes to do!
Exactly! It's one less skillet and pot to wash!