Skillet "Baked Ziti" aka Ooey Gooey Ziti


The man of the house LOVES pasta - lasagna, baked ziti, stuffed shells, manicotti - you name it. He would eat if every day of the week. Most of those dishes are pretty time-consuming. Skillet "baked ziti" lets me serve up the much-loved pasta, meat and cheese combo on a week-night. The more cheese, the more ooey-gooey this dish is - hence the nick-name.

You can use ziti or penne or rigatoni. You may have to adjust the cooking time a bit - taste your pasta at 15 minutes and go from there. I really like the ziti the best but it is easier to find whole wheat penne. Look for a marinara sauce that has 5 grams of sugar or less per serving. Prego No-Sugar Added Pasta Sauce has 6 grams but is a budget-friendly choice.  

Yield: 6
Author: Mary
Print

Skillet "Baked" Ziti

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean ground beef  
  • 1 cup onion chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 cups marinara sauce
  • 1⁄4 cup tomato paste
  • 2 1⁄2 cups water
  • 2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
  • 8 ounces uncooked ziti  or penne pasta
  • 1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese 

Instructions

  1. Add beef and onions to a large skillet, cook, breaking meat up as it cooks, until beef is no longer pink and the onions are translucent. (about 5-6 minutes).  
  2. Add in the marinara sauce, tomato paste, water, oregano, basil and garlic. Stir to combine with meat.  Add pasta and bring to a boil before reducing to a simmer. Cook, covered, for 18-20 minutes.
  3. Uncover, sprinkle mozzarella cheese over top. Replace lid. Let sit for about 1-2 minutes or until cheese melts.
Created using The Recipes Generator