Meaty Baked Ziti
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 1 lb. box of ziti
  • 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, pressed
  • 1 cup chopped mushrooms
  • Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 lb. package Impossible Ground Beef (or Beyond Beef)
  • 2 Field Roast Italian Sausages, quartered and chopped
  • ¼ cup dry vermouth or white wine
  • 24 ounce bottle of jarred organic marinara sauce, divided use
  • Fresh or dried herbs (thyme, oregano, basil, and parsley)
  • 2-3 T. unsalted butter
  • 8 ounces ricotta
  • 8 ounces light cream cheese
  • 1 egg
  • ⅛ tsp. nutmeg
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 tub of baby spinach or baby kale
  • 8 ounces of fresh mozzarella
  • ¾ cup freshly grated parmesan, divided use
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375°F and put a large pot of salted water on to boil for the ziti. Set aside 1 cup of marinara to add to the ziti after it is cooked.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and sauté the onion until translucent (about 3-4 minutes). Add the garlic, chopped mushrooms, sea salt and freshly ground pepper and cook for a few more minutes while you break up your Impossible Beef or Beyond Beef into small pieces and stem your baby kale or spinach.
  3. Add the broken up pieces of Impossible Ground Beef (or Beyond Beef) and sauté until it begins to brown. Add the chopped Field Roast Italian Sausage, and cook for a minute or so. Add the remaining 3 cups of the jarred marinara. I also like add about ¼ cup of vermouth or white wine to the jar and then cover and shake it to get every last bit of the remaining marinara. Open the jar and add to the skillet. Add your fresh (or dried herbs).
  4. Meanwhile add the ziti to the pot of boiling water and cook for about 9 minutes until it is al dente. Stir the pot occasionally to make sure that the ziti doesn’t stick together.
  5. While the ziti is cooking, mix the ricotta, cream cheese, egg and nutmeg in a medium bowl. Steam the stemmed baby kale or spinach, covered with a little added water in the microwave for about 4 minutes. When the kale or spinach is cool, squeeze out the remaining liquid and mix it into the ricotta, cream cheese, and egg mixture.
  6. When the ziti is al dente, reserve a cup of the hot pasta water, and drain the ziti in a colander. Pour the ziti back in the still hot pot, and add the unsalted butter, the reserved cup of marinara, and about ½ cup of the hot pasta water. Mix well, adding a little more pasta water if needed.
  7. Assemble into a greased 9” x 13” baking dish – first with a third of the sauced ziti. Next add half your meat sauce and sprinkle with some parmesan. Then add half of the remaining sauced ziti and top it with all your ricotta and spinach (or kale) mixture. Top that with the rest of the sauced ziti, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes at 375°F.
  8. Remove the foil and add the mozzarella and remaining parm. Return the baking dish to the oven for another 10 minutes.
  9. Remove the baking dish from the oven and let it cool for about 10 minutes before digging in!
Notes
© 2025 Nancy Olah.
All Rights Reserved.
Recipe by Fool a Carnivore at https://foolacarnivore.com/meaty-baked-ziti/