Fool a Carnivore

Meaty Baked Ziti

Date: / By Nancy Olah

Lasagna is one of my favorite pasta dishes. It’s my go to dish for a crowd and the very first recipe I wrote for my Fool a Carnivore cookbook.

I’ve been thinking about ways to make it simpler to assemble while still providing all the elements of a great tasting lasagna. I’ve decided that layering my sauce (made meaty with Impossible Ground Beef and Field Roast Italian Sausage) and my ricotta  mixture (made extra creamy by adding cream cheese) with ziti instead of lasagna noodles, is an easier, weeknight-friendly way to enjoy this classic.  Want to know how?  Read on…

To achieve a 30 minute prep time, I used a jarred organic marinara sauce instead of making my own.

I had my Impossible Ground Beef thawed and Field Roast sausage quartered and chopped

so that I could add them to the skillet after my onion and garlic were sautéed until translucent and my  mushrooms were done.

Once my pasta water was at a rolling boil, I added the ziti and cooked it for nine minutes, while I mixed the ricotta, cream cheese, egg, parmesan, and nutmeg.  While I normally use spinach when I make lasagna, I had fresh baby kale and decided to give that a try.

Cook your chopped spinach or baby kale in the microwave so that it will be ready to add drain and to the ricotta mixture once it has cooled.

Reserve a cup of the pasta water before you drain the ziti and return it to the still warm pasta pot.  Mix in the butter,  a generous cup of reserved marinara, and some of the pasta water.

I poured the remaining marinara into the skillet and added some vermouth to the bottle so I got every last drop of sauce. Mix in your fresh herbs.

You’re ready to assemble everything into a greased baking dish. First lay a foundation of about  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.  Remove from the oven and take off  the foil. Sprinkle the mozzarella and remaining parm on the top and stick it back in the oven for another 10 minutes.

This dish sets up much more quickly than lasagna, so you’ll only need about 8-10 minutes for it to cool before dishing it out to your adoring family.

My meaty baked ziti has all the elements of a traditional lasagna, but is streamlined and easier to add to your weeknight rotation.  Please give it a try!

Meaty Baked Ziti
 
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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.
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