Baked Ziti Diner Style

Name: Baked Ziti Diner Style
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup Ziti pasta; 1 lb Ground beef; 1 cup Heavy tomato sauce; 1.5 cups Whole milk ricotta; 1.5 cups Mozzarella; 1.5 cups Parmesan

Ziti with sausage, mozzarella, ricotta, blistered on top.

Developed and tested by The Neon Griddle test kitchenPublished August 1, 2026Last reviewed August 10, 2026Corrections

Prep: 15m
Cook: 40m
Serves: 6
Level: Medium

Ingredients

6servings

Ziti pasta1 cup
Ground beef1 lb
Heavy tomato sauce1 cup
Whole milk ricotta1 ½ cups
Mozzarella1 ½ cups
Parmesan1 ½ cups

Instructions

1
Render fat
Brown the ground beef aggressively to render fat.
2
Boil & drain
Toss the boiled, al dente ziti with the beef, tomato sauce, ricotta cheese, and half of the shredded mozzarella.
3
Bake through
Place the mixture into a heavy casserole dish, top with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan, and bake at 400°F until the cheese is spotted brown and bubbling.

Cook it safe

160°F / 71°C — Ground beef, pork, veal, and lamb, measured in the center of the thickest part.

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking — within 1 hour if the room is above 90°F / 32°C.
Reheat leftovers to 165°F / 74°C before serving.
Use a calibrated instant-read thermometer rather than color or cooking time to judge doneness.

Temperatures follow the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service safe minimum internal temperature chart.

Nutrition

Per serving · estimated

Calories: 620
Fat: 42g
Carbs: 24g
Protein: 36g

Nutrition is estimated from the listed ingredients using standard reference values (USDA FoodData Central). 5 of 6 matched ingredients use verified FoodData Central entries (dictionary snapshot 2026-09-11). Brand, portion, and preparation differences can change the result. Frying fat is counted at the share typically absorbed, and brines drained before cooking are excluded. These figures are an estimate for general interest, not medical or dietary advice.

Equipment

Instant-read meat thermometer

This recipe has a target internal temperature, and color is not a reliable way to read it.

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