# Big Batch Baked Ziti

A comfort food classic with 45 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber per serving, making 15 huge servings for meal prep.

- Servings: 15 servings
- Total time: 75 min
- Cuisine: Italian
- Category: Soup
- Language: en

## Ingredients

- 30 g olive oil
- 2 yellow onions diced
- 1360 g 96% lean ground beef
- 170 g tomato paste
- 1360 g marinara sauce
- 300 g red lentils dry
- 900 g beef bone broth
- 1.5 Tbsp coarse kosher salt
- 2 Tbsp garlic powder
- 2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tsp black pepper
- 900 g ziti pasta
- 240 g 2% cottage cheese
- 240 g part-skim ricotta
- 50 g Parmigiano Reggiano
- 1 handful chopped fresh basil
- 228 g part-skim mozzarella shredded
- 340 g marinara sauce

## Instructions

1. Cook diced onions in olive oil with a large pinch of salt until softened and lightly browned.
2. Push onions to the side or remove, add ground beef, and sear until browned, then break up and combine.
3. Add tomato paste and seasonings (coarse kosher salt, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, black pepper) and cook until darkened for 5 minutes.
4. Add dry red lentils, beef bone broth, and marinara sauce, bring to a boil.
5. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until lentils are soft and sauce is thickened for about 45-60 minutes.
6. Cook ziti in salted water until just al dente, then drain.
7. Add cooked pasta to a large foil roaster rack, combine with meat sauce and a cheese mixture of ricotta, cottage cheese, parmesan, and basil, mix thoroughly.
8. Top with an additional half jar of marinara sauce and freshly grated mozzarella cheese.
9. Place the rack on a sheet pan and bake uncovered at 400 degrees until the cheese is melted and browned, for 20-30 minutes.
10. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
11. Split into 15 equally sized servings.

## Equipment

- Large stockpot or Dutch oven (6qt+ recommended)
- Handi-foil medium foil roaster rack
- sheet pan

## Tips

- Make sure to taste the meat sauce and the pasta for salt before combining. If either taste bland, adjust salt to taste.
- Lentils will retain some texture when cooked in an acidic sauce. If you want them softer, add the tomato sauce after simmering for 30 mins.

## Source

- Original video: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXM1Cd9kXEH/?igsh=MThkYjk4cGp4cDh4dQ==
- Recipe page: https://www.cliprecipe.com/recipe/75f2c2a5-b722-4294-a781-3a7e12e0c2a5
- Extracted: 2026-05-02

Extracted from the video by Clip Recipe (https://www.cliprecipe.com). Quantities and steps are as stated or shown in the video. Site guide for agents: https://www.cliprecipe.com/llms.txt