Tex Mex Ziti
- SERVES
- 6
- COOK TIME
- 35 Min
If your family can't decide between Italian or Mexican food, then we've got the perfect solution, Tex Mex Ziti! This beefy and cheesy casserole combines the best of two cultures in just one dish. Not only will your whole gang be pleased, but you will be too, 'cause this recipe is weeknight-easy!
What You'll Need
- 1 (12-ounce) package ziti
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 2 cups spaghetti sauce
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
- 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese blend, divided
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
What to Do
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9- x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain, rinse, and drain again; set aside in a large bowl.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, brown beef and onion 5 minutes; drain off excess liquid. Add to drained pasta along with spaghetti sauce, salsa, ricotta cheese, and 1 cup cheese; stir until well combined. Spoon into prepared baking dish.
- Bake 25 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Return to oven and bake 10 more minutes, or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with cilantro just before serving.
Notes
- For additional ethnic flavor, the Mr. Food Test Kitchen suggests that you might want to add a drained can of green chilies, jalapeño peppers, or black olives when you combine all of the ingredients.
- Freezer-friendly recipe: Follow all steps above expect for baking. After ziti is assembled, cover with a few layers of foil and place in freezer. Thaw by placing in fridge 24 hours in advance. Once thawed, bake at regular time and temerpature. Click here for more tips on freezing our recipes!
- If you enjoyed this recipe, be sure to check out Easy Pasta Bake Recipes: 24 Ultimate Pasta Casseroles.
- Check out more of our favorite Tex-Mex recipes with dishes like our Taco Ring and Tex Mex Dip.
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Nutritional InformationShow More
Servings Per Recipe: 6
- Amount Per Serving % Daily Value *
- Calories 584
- Calories from Fat 225
- Total Fat 25g 39 %
- Saturated Fat 12g 61 %
- Trans Fat 0.7g 0 %
- Protein 33g 65 %
- Amount Per Serving % Daily Value *
- Cholesterol 96mg 32 %
- Sodium 949mg 40 %
- Total Carbohydrates 55g 18 %
- Dietary Fiber 2.2g 9 %
- Sugars 6.4g 0 %
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kmcartoonity 62072 74
Feb 25, 2017
I used whole wheat rotini in this dish for a little bit of added nutrition. I also added 2 cloves of fresh garlic, 1 tsp. onion powder, 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper powder, freshly cracked black pepper, and a sprinkling of salt to the ground beef before browning it. It turned out delicious. Children really like this dish, and it is a great meal to make on a busy weeknight. You could even add some frozen corn or beans to the dish for a different variation, kind of like a Mexican style goulash.
BeckySue
Apr 22, 2016
Ziti is so good and has a similar taste as lasagne, but much easier! The ziti pasta holds its shape well when cooked al dente. You can add a cheesy crust to the top-just cover with foil for the first half of cooking time so it doesn't get too brown.
gscott484 6507463
Apr 13, 2016
My husband and I love it! It is very easy to make. The next time I make it I will add some additional seasonings to give it more flavor.
EmToast10
Oct 31, 2015
Really easy to make. I couldn't find ziti anywhere so I used rotini instead and turned out really good. I suggest maybe a half table spoon of garlic powder. Adds some extra flavor. Over all it's yummy, easy on your budget and easy to make!
Member 6370101
May 05, 2015
This is excellent. It disappeared so fast, I couldn't believe my eyes
princess52jammy 74 25833
Apr 27, 2015
i made this and it was great. To bring it up to another level I think next time, I will add taco seasoning to the hamburger mixture.
cleaninglady0404 9 809918
Jan 19, 2014
we thought it was good needed garlic and green pepper but we will try it again
deedee31956
Jan 16, 2014
Very good but both my hubby & myself think it needs a little extra kick. He is saying garlic & parsley - I say chili powder & can of green chilies. So we will be having two more times trying to fix both ways to decide on the final recipe that we want to use. :)
sweetfuzz 7594776
May 03, 2013
Without having tried this, I don't want my food to taste Italian (ingredient: spaghetti sauce) when I am wanting tex-mex. I just can't imagine that it would taste very good.
rubybrown 3329500
May 04, 2013
sweetfuzz if you want more Tex-Mex flavor just add some type of Tex-Mex spices such as ground cumin, ground red pepper &/or chile powder. But as for me I think it would be de-lish! Ruby Brown
bicycleben56 67834 95
May 04, 2013
Sweetfuzz, instead of spaghetti sauce You can make your own Mexican sauce by mater sauce & Rotel(yr choice of Rotel), adding Japs or any pepper.
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