Baked Ziti Bolognese

Layers of tender ziti noodles, hearty Bolognese sauce and fresh mozzarella cheese, baked in individual serving dishes and topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese... Wanna come over?

Here's a little secret from my kitchen to yours: Don't relegate your baked ziti to unseasoned noodles. After you cook the noodles, season them before layering them in the baking dish. You'll have all the ingredients out anyway (olive oil, oregano, basil, salt, pepper) so it's an easy step and it adds A LOT of extra lavor. Trust me on this - do it this time and you'll never do it another way again.

Pick your baking vessel: I like cooking this baked ziti in individual baking dishes so nobody gets jipped out of meat and cheese. You know what I mean - when you have one big casserole dish, it seems like some people get mostly noodles while others get mostly cheese! We like the whole experience in my house, so individual baking dishes it is!

Want to prep ahead? Good idea. Assemble the casserole(s) as directed and cover with plastic. Refrigerate for up to 2 days before baking. Remove the casserole(s) from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking (and don't forget to remove the plastic wrap and cover with foil).

Baked Ziti Bolognese

1 pound ziti noodles
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil, divided
Salt and ground black pepper
1 pound lean ground beef
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
28-ounce can tomato sauce (or two 15-ounce cans)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices
Freshly grated parmesan cheese for serving

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a baking dish or individual baking dishes with cooking spray.
Cook the pasta according to the package directions, drain and reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. Toss the pasta with the oil, 1/2 teaspoon of the oregano, 1/2 teaspoon of the basil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Set aside.
Brown the beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks. If necessary, drain away any fat and return the beef to the skillet. Add the onion powder, garlic powder, remaining teaspoon of oregano, and remaining teaspoon of basil. Stir to coat the beef and cook for 1 minute, until the herbs are fragrant. Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste and reserved 1/2 cup of pasta water and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Arrange half of the pasta in the bottom of the prepared pan or pans. Top with half of the sauce and half of the cheese slices. Top the cheese with the remaining pasta, sauce and cheese slices. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes (if the foil will touch the cheese, spray it with cooking spray first so it doesn't stick when the cheese melts). Uncover and bake for 5 to 7 more minutes, until the cheese melts.
Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Serves 4