Mouthwatering Baked Ziti with Ground Beef and Cream Cheese

There’s something about a big pan of baked pasta that just makes everyone happy. It’s one of those dishes that looks like you spent hours in the kitchen, but really comes together without much fuss. Plus, it feeds a crowd and the leftovers might even taste better the next day.

This baked ziti hits all the right notes. You’ve got two kinds of meat for extra flavor, plenty of gooey cheese, and that little touch of cream cheese that makes the whole thing extra rich and creamy. It’s basically like lasagna’s easier cousin – all the comfort, less of the work.

The best part? You can make this ahead and pop it in the oven when you’re ready to eat. Perfect for busy weeknights when you need something hearty on the table, or for feeding friends without being stuck in the kitchen all evening.

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What Kind of Ground Beef Should I Use?

For baked ziti, you’ll want to use ground beef with a fat content that balances flavor and texture without making your dish too greasy. I typically go with 85/15 ground beef (that’s 85% lean, 15% fat), which gives you enough fat for good flavor but won’t leave you with a pool of grease at the bottom of your pan. If you prefer something leaner, 90/10 will work just fine, though you might lose a bit of that rich, meaty taste. Whatever you choose, make sure to break it up well while browning so it mixes evenly with the Italian sausage and creates a nice, consistent meat sauce throughout your ziti.

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Options for Substitutions

This baked ziti is pretty forgiving when it comes to swapping ingredients:

• Ziti: If you can’t find ziti, penne, rigatoni, or even mostaccioli work great. Any tube-shaped pasta that can hold the sauce will do the trick.
• Ground beef and Italian sausage: You can use all ground beef or all Italian sausage if that’s what you have. Ground turkey or chicken are lighter options too, though you might want to add a bit more Italian seasoning for flavor.
• Cream cheese: Ricotta cheese is a classic substitute here and gives you that traditional baked ziti taste. You can also use cottage cheese if you blend it smooth first.
• Marinara sauce: Any tomato-based pasta sauce works fine. You can even make your own with crushed tomatoes, garlic, and herbs if you have extra time.
• Mozzarella: Pre-shredded or block mozzarella both work, though block cheese melts a bit better. In a pinch, provolone or Italian blend cheese are good alternatives.
• Red pepper flakes: Skip these entirely if you prefer less heat, or add more if you like things spicy. It won’t change the overall dish much either way.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake people make with baked ziti is overcooking the pasta during the initial boil – since it bakes for another 30 minutes in the oven, you’ll want to undercook it by about 2 minutes so it doesn’t turn mushy. Another common error is not draining the ground beef and sausage after browning, which leaves your sauce greasy and pooling with excess fat at the bottom of the dish. Make sure your cream cheese is fully softened before adding it to the hot sauce, or you’ll end up with lumps that won’t melt smoothly no matter how much you stir. Finally, don’t skip covering the dish with foil for the first 25 minutes of baking – this traps moisture and prevents the top layer of pasta from drying out and getting hard around the edges.

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What to Serve With Baked Ziti?

A crispy garlic bread or warm Italian bread is perfect for serving alongside baked ziti – you’ll want something to soak up that rich, cheesy sauce. I always throw together a simple side salad with mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, and a light Italian dressing to balance out the heartiness of the pasta. If you’re feeding a crowd, roasted vegetables like zucchini, bell peppers, or broccoli make a great addition to the table. For a complete Italian-style meal, you could also serve some sautéed green beans with garlic or a Caesar salad on the side.

Storage Instructions

Store: Leftover baked ziti keeps really well in the fridge for up to 4 days. Just cover the baking dish tightly with foil or transfer portions to airtight containers. The flavors actually get even better the next day as everything melds together!

Freeze: This is one of those dishes that’s perfect for freezing. You can freeze the whole thing before baking, or freeze leftovers after baking. Either way, wrap it well in plastic wrap and then foil, and it’ll stay good for up to 3 months. If freezing unbaked, add about 15 extra minutes to the baking time when cooking from frozen.

Reheat: To warm up leftovers, cover with foil and bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes, or until heated through. You can also microwave individual portions for 2-3 minutes. If it seems a bit dry, just add a splash of water or extra marinara before reheating.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 3150-3450
• Protein: 135-155 g
• Fat: 155-175 g
• Carbohydrates: 270-290 g

Ingredients

For the pasta:

• 16 oz ziti

For the meat sauce:

• 1 onion (finely chopped)
• 3 garlic cloves (minced)
• 0.75 lb ground beef
• 0.5 lb ground Italian sausage
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 0.5 tsp red pepper (or to taste)
• 32 oz marinara sauce (I like Rao’s Homemade)
• 14 oz diced tomatoes
• 8 oz cream cheese (softened)
• 0.5 tsp dried oregano

For the topping:

• 2 cups mozzarella (shredded)
• 0.75 cup Parmesan (freshly grated)

Step 1: Prepare the Mise en Place and Preheat

• 1 onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 0.5 tsp red pepper
• 0.5 tsp dried oregano
• 32 oz marinara sauce
• 14 oz diced tomatoes
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 2 cups mozzarella
• 0.75 cup Parmesan

Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

While the oven heats, finely chop the onion, mince the garlic cloves, and measure out all your spices, sauces, and cheeses.

Having everything prepped and ready will make the cooking process smooth and prevent any burning or overcooking of the meat mixture while you’re scrambling to find ingredients.

Step 2: Cook the Pasta

• 16 oz ziti

While you’re prepping ingredients, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the ziti according to package directions until just al dente (about 1 minute under the suggested time).

Drain the pasta but do not rinse it—the starch on the surface helps the sauce cling better.

Set aside in a large bowl.

Step 3: Build the Aromatic Base

• 1 onion
• 3 garlic cloves

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the chopped onion.

Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes soft and translucent.

Add the minced garlic and stir constantly for 1 minute until fragrant.

This aromatic foundation creates the flavor base for your entire sauce—don’t skip this step as it develops sweetness and depth.

Step 4: Brown the Meat

• 0.75 lb ground beef
• 0.5 lb ground Italian sausage

Increase the heat to medium-high and add the ground beef and Italian sausage to the skillet with the aromatics.

Cook for 8-10 minutes, breaking up the meat with a spoon as it cooks, until both are fully browned and no pink remains.

I prefer to cook the meat thoroughly at this stage before adding liquids so it develops a deeper color and flavor through browning.

Step 5: Build the Sauce and Simmer

• 32 oz marinara sauce
• 14 oz diced tomatoes
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 0.5 tsp dried oregano
• 0.5 tsp red pepper

Add the marinara sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, dried oregano, and red pepper to the browned meat mixture.

Stir well to combine and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat.

Let this simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

This simmering time allows the flavors to meld together and the sauce to thicken slightly, creating a richer, more cohesive filling.

Step 6: Incorporate the Cream Cheese

• 8 oz cream cheese
• meat sauce mixture from Step 5

Remove the skillet from heat and add the softened cream cheese to the hot meat sauce.

Stir constantly for 1-2 minutes until the cream cheese is completely melted and fully incorporated into the sauce.

The residual heat should melt it smoothly without any lumps forming.

This creates a creamy, luxurious sauce that coats the pasta beautifully.

Step 7: Assemble and Bake

• cooked pasta from Step 2
• meat sauce mixture from Step 6
• 2 cups mozzarella
• 0.75 cup Parmesan

Pour the cooked ziti into the prepared 9×13 baking dish, then spoon the meat sauce mixture from Step 6 evenly over the top, stirring gently to combine.

Top with the shredded mozzarella and freshly grated Parmesan cheese, distributing them evenly.

Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted and lightly golden.

I like to let the uncovered bake time go the full 10 minutes if you want the cheese slightly browned and the edges a bit crispy.

Mouthwatering Baked Ziti with Ground Beef and Cream Cheese

Delicious Mouthwatering Baked Ziti with Ground Beef and Cream Cheese recipe with step-by-step instructions.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Servings 8 servings

Calories 3300 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the pasta::

• 16 oz ziti

For the meat sauce::

• 1 onion (finely chopped)
• 3 garlic cloves (minced)
• 0.75 lb ground beef
• 0.5 lb ground Italian sausage
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 0.5 tsp red pepper (or to taste)
• 32 oz marinara sauce (I like Rao's Homemade)
• 14 oz diced tomatoes
• 8 oz cream cheese (softened)
• 0.5 tsp dried oregano

For the topping::

• 2 cups mozzarella (shredded)
• 0.75 cup Parmesan (freshly grated)

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 350°F and spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. While the oven heats, finely chop the onion, mince the garlic cloves, and measure out all your spices, sauces, and cheeses. Having everything prepped and ready will make the cooking process smooth and prevent any burning or overcooking of the meat mixture while you're scrambling to find ingredients.
• While you're prepping ingredients, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the ziti according to package directions until just al dente (about 1 minute under the suggested time). Drain the pasta but do not rinse it—the starch on the surface helps the sauce cling better. Set aside in a large bowl.
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the chopped onion. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes soft and translucent. Add the minced garlic and stir constantly for 1 minute until fragrant. This aromatic foundation creates the flavor base for your entire sauce—don't skip this step as it develops sweetness and depth.
• Increase the heat to medium-high and add the ground beef and Italian sausage to the skillet with the aromatics. Cook for 8-10 minutes, breaking up the meat with a spoon as it cooks, until both are fully browned and no pink remains. I prefer to cook the meat thoroughly at this stage before adding liquids so it develops a deeper color and flavor through browning.
• Add the marinara sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, dried oregano, and red pepper to the browned meat mixture. Stir well to combine and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Let this simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. This simmering time allows the flavors to meld together and the sauce to thicken slightly, creating a richer, more cohesive filling.
• Remove the skillet from heat and add the softened cream cheese to the hot meat sauce. Stir constantly for 1-2 minutes until the cream cheese is completely melted and fully incorporated into the sauce. The residual heat should melt it smoothly without any lumps forming. This creates a creamy, luxurious sauce that coats the pasta beautifully.
• Pour the cooked ziti into the prepared 9x13 baking dish, then spoon the meat sauce mixture from Step 6 evenly over the top, stirring gently to combine. Top with the shredded mozzarella and freshly grated Parmesan cheese, distributing them evenly. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted and lightly golden. I like to let the uncovered bake time go the full 10 minutes if you want the cheese slightly browned and the edges a bit crispy.