This is a tasty three-cheese Italian baked ziti with ground beef and provolone comfort food recipe that’s filling and perfect for Sunday dinner or parties. It’s made with an easy and delicious homemade meat sauce that gives it incredible flavor!
I’m no stranger to making a fabulous baked ziti. My Baked Ziti with Ricotta Cheese recipe is one of my top recipes! It was chosen to be on pasta contest on a Philadelphia radio station years ago and the judges raved about it on air for days.
What makes this baked ziti special is the homemade meat sauce and the PROVOLONE CHEESE. The meat sauce gives the recipe all the delicious flavor. Why? Because the ground beef flavors the tomato sauce and the tomatoes flavor the beef.
I don’t ever use jarred sauce in my cooking. See how delicious this meat sauce looks?
The provolone cheese gives this recipe an unparalleled distinction of just using mozzarella cheese alone. It’s so, so good! You may have a hard time stopping yourself from eating the whole pan. It’s cheesy deliciousness!
Disclosure: This post may contain Amazon affiliate links which means if you make a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission but, the price you pay is the same.
As mentioned above, this recipe entails making a delicious meat sauce and mixing it with cooked ziti, mozzarella, provolone, parmesan cheeses and seasonings and then baking it. It’s not complicated.
It’s a casserole type dish you can make ahead for parties and just bake it before you’re ready to serve it.
Baked Ziti with Ground Beef and Provolone
Can use provolone in baked ziti?
Not only can you use provolone in baked ziti, I highly recommend it. It adds another dimension of flavor that is unparalleled to mozzarella.
Can baked ziti be frozen?
Yes it can. Put it in air tight plastic containers, label it and put in your freezer for up to six months for maximum freshness.
Should baked ziti be baked covered or uncovered?
Baked ziti should be baked covered. You can uncover it for the last few minutes to brown it a bit but, it’s not necessary. Don’t uncover it the last few minutes if you don’t care for the pasta edges to get a little hard as this can happen.
Should you cover baked ziti with foil?
Yes, use aluminum foil to cover the baked ziti before you put it in the oven. It will keep the heat in the baking dish and allow it cook faster than uncovered.
Substitutions
- You may use a different tubular pasta such as penne, rigatoni, etc.
- Ground turkey can be substituted for the ground beef although the flavor will be very different. This is a good way to lighten up the calories.
- Use low fat mozzarella and/or provolone cheese.
This baked ziti with ground beef and provolone cheese it absolutely DELCIOUS! It’s a wonderful Sunday dinner. It’ll become a favorite for gatherings because you can make it ahead and bake it before serving. You can also make it weeks ahead and freeze it up to six months. Your family will love it!
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I took this recipe to Weekend Potluck.
Baked Ziti with Ground Beef and Provolone
Ingredients
Meat Sauce
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped onions
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb ground beef, 85% lean or higher
- 29 oz Hunt's canned tomato sauce
- 1 tbsp fresh Italian parsley, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Remaining Ingredients
- 16 oz ziti
- 4 oz provolone cheese
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 16 oz shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 2 tbsp fresh Italian parsley, chopped optional
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- First, start cooking the ziti according to package directions. Cook it for 10 minutes and drain.
- Meanwhile, add oil, chopped onions and minced garlic to a large saucepan on med/high heat. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Then, add ground beef, break it up into small pieces and cook for 10-15 minutes until browned.
- Next, add tomato sauce, 1 tbsp of the chopped parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 25 more minutes, covered.
- Then, add the meat sauce, 8 oz of the mozzarella cheese, provolone cheese, 2 tbsp of the chopped parsley, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste to the ziti and stir until well combined.
- Next, oil spray a 13"x9"x3" baking dish. Pour the ziti mixture into the pan and spread it out. Top the ziti with remaining 8 oz of shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Last, cover with aluminum foil and bake at 375F for 30 minutes but, remove the foil for the last five minutes. Garnish with additional parsely if desired.
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