Baked Ziti

Preheat oven to 375°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

While water heats, warm olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté diced onion until softened, about 3 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute more.

If using ground meat, add it to the skillet and break it apart as it browns, 5–7 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.

Add marinara sauce and Italian seasoning to the skillet. Simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper. Remove from heat.

Cook pasta in boiling water until just shy of fully tender (about 1 minute under package time). Drain and return to pot.

Pour the sauce mixture over the drained pasta and stir gently to combine. Fold in ricotta cheese until evenly distributed.

Transfer half the pasta mixture to a 9×13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle half the mozzarella and half the Parmesan over it. Add the remaining pasta mixture and top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.

Bake uncovered for 25–35 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and cheese is melted and bubbly at the edges.

Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes before serving.