Why Million Dollar Baked Ziti Is a Must-Try Recipe

The pot lid rattles and you know dinner is almost ready.

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Cooking baked ziti in a pressure cooker gets you from hungry to happy way faster than waiting on the oven all day. You remember the days when ziti took forever to bake and you couldn9;t help but sneak a peek to check if it9;s done yet. Well, those days are gone.

As you spot the steam escaping and hear the valve hiss, that pressure cooker tells you dinner's coming real soon. The broth depth inside kinda helps cook the pasta right through, soft but still with some bite. You catch the smell of tomatoes and melted cheese, filling the kitchen while you wait for the quick release to pop the lid open.

Baked ziti usually is a lazy Sunday kinda dish, but this way you can fit it right into a busy week. No need to fuss over babysitting the oven or stirring a pot every five minutes. Instead, your sealing ring9s doing the work, making sure everything stays moist and tasty.

The Real Reasons You Will Love This Method

• You save tons of time cause pressure cooking ziti cooks pasta and melts cheese all in one.
• The flavors get super concentrated in that sealed environment, you taste it in every bite.
• Less mess to clean up since you use the pressure cooker for almost everything, no extra pots.
• The sauce stays juicy and perfect, no dried out edges like oven-baked versions.
• Quick release means you can serve it right away, no long wait for the food to cool down.

Everything You Need Lined Up

• 2 pounds ziti pasta. You want it dry and uncooked for this recipe.
• 1 jar pasta sauce. Pick your favorite kind, chunky or smooth works.
• 1 pound ground beef browned and drained. Adds that hearty, meaty vibe.
• 32 ounce whole-milk ricotta cheese. This creamy stuff is where the ziti gets its soul.
• 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese. Great for layering the melty goodness.
• 1 pound whole-milk mozzarella cheese from a ball, grated up fresh.
• 1 egg. Helps bind the cheeses and pasta together nice and easy.
• Fresh or dried parsley plus salt and pepper to taste, cause seasoning9s king.

Make sure you got everything ready before you start cause it9;s all gonna come together fast. You9re assembling layers with sauce, cheeses, and ziti mixture so don't rush.

The Full Pressure Cooker Journey

Step 1. Preheat your oven to 3756F. You want that ready to go for the last browning part.

Step 2. Cook the ziti according to the package directions until just al dente, so it won9t turn mushy later. Drain and set aside.

Step 3. In a big bowl, mix ricotta cheese, egg, parsley, salt, and pepper until it9s nice and smooth. Stir in half the shredded mozzarella and the grated ball mozzarella too.

Step 4. Toss in the cooked ziti and browned ground beef to the cheese mix and stir till everything9s evenly coated.

Step 5. Spread a layer of pasta sauce in the bottom of your baking dish. Add half the ziti mixture on top, then more sauce, and half the remaining cheeses. Repeat layers once more. Cover the whole thing with foil.

Step 6. Bake covered for 20 minutes, then peel off foil and bake another 10 minutes till the cheese turns bubbly and golden brown. Let sit 10 minutes before you dig in.

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Smart Shortcuts for Busy Days

• Use pre-cooked or leftover pasta to cut down the prep time.
• Buy pre-browned ground beef or quick cook it in skillet beforehand.
• Grab jarred pasta sauce to skip making homemade sauce from scratch.
• Mix cheese ingredients ahead and keep in fridge, so you can just assemble later.
• Use your pressure cooker9s slow release setting sometimes to keep everything nice and warm if you can't serve right away.

The Flavor Experience Waiting for You

The first bite is all about that cheesy, saucy mix sliding around your tongue. The combination of ricotta and mozz melts perfectly, keeping each forkful creamy but still with a little stretch.

The meat9s juicy and tender, mingling with the tangy tomato sauce that was simmered just right. You remember that hearty warmth filling you up from the inside, kinda like a hug in food form.

And the bake finishing in the oven gives a light golden crust you spot right away. It9s got a little crunch on the top but soft and bubbly inside 79s the best part that brings it all together.

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How to Store This for Later

• Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Just reheat in the microwave or oven when ready.
• For longer storage, portion out and freeze the baked ziti. Wrap tight with foil and plastic wrap so it doesn9;t get freezer burn.
• To reheat frozen portions, thaw overnight in fridge then bake at 3506F till hot and bubbly again.
• If you wanna save just the sauce and pasta separately, store in different containers so you can reheat without mushiness.

Common Questions and Real Answers

Q1. Can I pressure cook the whole baked ziti in the pot?
You can use the pressure cooker for the pasta and sauce part, but you still wanna finish in the oven for that golden top. Pressure cooker won9t brown the cheese like the oven can.

Q2. How much broth depth do I need to add when pressure cooking pasta?
Generally around 1 to 1.5 cups broth or water is good. You want enough to cover bottom but not drown everything, helps pasta cook just right.

Q3. Why do I need to do a quick release instead of slow release here?
The quick release stops cooking right away, so pasta won9t get mushy. Slow release keeps the heat longer and pasta can go overcooked.

Q4. Can I use turkey or veggie ground meat instead of beef?
For sure. Turkey9s lean and cooks quick, veggies add great flavor too. Just cook first and drain to keep the layers right.

Q5. My sealing ring smells weird, will that affect the food?
Cleaning or swapping it out helps. If it smells bad, it might give off odd flavors. Always check your sealing ring before you start.

Q6. How do I keep the cheese from separating during cooking?
Mixing egg with cheeses helps bind 9em. Also, don9t overcook under pressure, stick to quick release and keep broth depth right.

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How to make Baked ZitiArlene Mobley

This pressure cooker baked ziti is a fast, cheesy, hearty meal perfect for busy nights with all the flavor of traditional oven-baked comfort food.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Cuisine Mediterranean

Servings 12 servings

Calories 752 kcal

Equipment

• 1 Mixing bowl Large

Ingredients

  

Main ingredients

• 2 pounds ziti pasta dry and uncooked
• 1 jar pasta sauce any kind
• 1 pound ground beef browned and drained
• 32 ounce whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 pound whole-milk mozzarella cheese from a ball, grated
• 1 egg
• parsley fresh or dried, to taste
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

 

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 375°F for the final browning step.
• Cook the ziti according to package instructions until just al dente. Drain and set aside.
• In a large bowl, mix ricotta cheese, egg, parsley, salt, and pepper until smooth.
• Stir in half the shredded mozzarella and the grated mozzarella ball into the ricotta mixture.
• Add the cooked ziti and browned ground beef to the cheese mixture and mix until combined.
• In a baking dish, spread a layer of pasta sauce at the bottom.
• Add half the ziti mixture, more sauce, and half the remaining cheese over top.
• Repeat the layers once more: ziti mixture, sauce, and cheese.
• Cover the dish with foil.
• Bake covered for 20 minutes.
• Remove foil and bake uncovered for another 10 minutes until bubbly and golden brown.
• Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Serve hot and refrigerate leftovers. You can freeze portions for later, reheating in oven until heated through.