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Beef baked ziti taken with iphone 15 pro max --iw 2 --ar 4:5 --v 6.0 --raw

Baked Ziti with Ground Beef in Your Pressure Cooker

My easy baked ziti with ground beef has hearty meat sauce, creamy ricotta, and melty cheese in every bite. It’s made with beef, jarred marinara, and simple pantry staples, and comes together with minimal prep! Ready for weeknights, gatherings, or whenever you’re craving something warm and crowd-pleasing.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 612 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Large Baking Dish

Ingredients
  

Ingredients

  • ¾ pound dry ziti or rigatoni pasta sturdy and holds sauce well
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil for sautéing
  • ½ medium yellow onion finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced fine
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
  • 1 teaspoon dried no-salt added Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
  • 1 24-ounce jar marinara sauce or 3 cups homemade marinara
  • 15 ounce ricotta cheese
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese divided
  • ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese divided
  • chopped fresh basil or parsley optional for serving

Instructions
 

The Full Pressure Cooker Journey

  • Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) since you’ll finish this baked ziti in there for that melty top.
  • Cook your ziti or rigatoni pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain it well and set aside; don’t skip this or you’ll get mushy noodles.
  • Now, heat the olive oil in a big skillet over medium heat. Toss in the onion and sauté till it’s translucent and smelling sweet, about 5 minutes.
  • Add the minced garlic and cook it just one more minute till you smell that garlicky goodness.
  • Stir in your lean ground beef along with half teaspoon kosher salt, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes if you're feeling spicy. Brown the beef until no pink shows, about 7-10 minutes.
  • Pour in the marinara sauce and stir it up. Let it simmer for 5 minutes to mash up all those flavors.
  • Mix cooked pasta with the meat sauce in a big bowl. Make sure the sauce coats every noodle so nothing gets left out.
  • Transfer that to a greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Then take off the foil and bake 10 more minutes to get that bubbly, cheesy top.

Notes

Serve with a sprinkle of chopped fresh basil or parsley for an optional fresh touch.