Easy Baked Ziti

What you'll need

• 1 lbziti pasta
• 1 lbground beef or Italian sausage
• 3 clovesgarlic, minced
• 4 cupsmarinara sauce
• 15 ozricotta cheese
• 1egg
• 3 cupsshredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1/2 cupgrated Parmesan cheese
• to tastesalt and black pepper
• optionalfresh basil, for garnish

Let's cook

1. 1Preheat the oven to 375F and grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
2. 2Cook the ziti in salted boiling water until just al dente, then drain.
3. 3In a large skillet, cook the ground beef and garlic over medium-high heat until browned. Drain excess fat and stir in the marinara sauce.
4. 4In a bowl, mix the ricotta, egg, half the mozzarella, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.
5. 5Combine the cooked pasta with the meat sauce, then fold in the ricotta mixture.
6. 6Transfer to the prepared baking dish and top with the remaining mozzarella.
7. 7Bake for 20-25 minutes, until bubbly and golden on top. Garnish with fresh basil before serving.