Baked ziti with lamb sauce

Name: Baked ziti with lamb sauce
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Ziti pasta 17.6 oz; Lamb 0.9 lb; Tomato purée 2 cups; Grana Padano PDO cheese 2.1 oz; Garlic 1 clove; Extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp; Fine salt to taste; Whole milk 1 ¼ cup; Type 00 flour ¼ cup; Butter 2 tbsp; Nutmeg pinch 1; Fine salt teaspoon ½

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Difficulty: Average
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Serving: 4
Cost: High

PRESENTATION

Recipe by
Costantina Vinciguerra

Baked ziti with lamb sauce is one of those dishes that just makes any meal feel like a celebration. In Campania, especially around Naples, this pasta is such a Sunday staple—or at those special gatherings, you know? The combo of ziti pasta, lamb baked ziti recipe flavors, and that rich tomato ragù—seriously good—makes it a classic Neapolitan family favorite. What’s awesome about this dish is how the tender lamb stew soaks into the pasta. Really comforting. Then you've got a layer of béchamel sauce on top. It adds a creamy, almost sweet finish that balances all the deep, savory notes from the ragù. And the ziti pasta? It holds everything together, with those thick tubes catching the juicy bits of lamb and sauce. For sure. It’s got that hearty, layered vibe Southern Italian food is so famous for, and just seeing the golden top when it comes out of the oven is enough to make anyone hungry.

Regional baked pasta dishes like this really show off what makes Campania’s food special. The baked ziti with lamb sauce here isn’t just your usual pasta bake—it’s got that bold, homey taste from a slow-cooked lamb ragù, known as "ragù Napoletano" in the area. People sometimes tweak it with different cheeses or a bit more tangy tomato, but the basics stay the same: rich sauce, thick pasta, and lots of moist goodness under the crispy top. This lamb baked ziti recipe stands out at the table—no question—and it’s the kind of meal that makes guests stop and take notice. I mean, folks even compare it to Greek-style pasta bakes, but there’s something about the Southern Italian mix of sauces and pasta shapes that hits differently. Bring out this baked ziti with ground lamb for a family gathering, and you’ll see how quickly it disappears. For real. You don’t need anything fancy—just ingredients and some oven time, and suddenly you’ve got a dish that feels both special and super familiar.

The rich, hearty nature of this dish is proof of the comforting heart of Southern Italian home cooking. It's a must-try for anyone who loves traditional flavors. Really, really good stuff.

INGREDIENTS

Ziti pasta 17.6 oz (500 g)

Lamb 0.9 lb (400 g)

Tomato purée 2 cups (500 g)

Grana Padano PDO cheese 2.1 oz (60 g)

Garlic 1 clove

Extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp (30 g)

Fine salt to taste

For 1 1/4 cups of béchamel sauce: Whole milk 1 ¼ cup (300 g); Type 00 flour ¼ cup (30 g); Butter 2 tbsp (30 g); Nutmeg 1 - pinch; Fine salt ½ - teaspoon

Preparation

How to prepare Baked ziti with lamb sauce

To prepare baked ziti with lamb sauce, start with the béchamel. In a saucepan, heat the milk until almost boiling 1. Meanwhile, in another saucepan, melt the butter and then add the flour all at once 2, stirring immediately with a wooden spoon. This will form the roux, let it brown for a minute 3.

Remove the roux from the heat momentarily and gradually add the milk to avoid lumps 4. As soon as the mixture is smooth, return to the heat and continue stirring until cooked through 5. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap 6.

In the meantime, prepare the sauce. Cut the lamb into small pieces 7. Heat a pan with oil and garlic, once the base is hot, add the lamb pieces 8. When the meat is well browned, add the tomato sauce and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes 9.

When the sauce is ready, cook the ziti in boiling salted water 10. Pour the béchamel into the sauce 11 and season with salt 12.

When the ziti are al dente, drain and dress them immediately 13. Transfer to a baking dish and sprinkle the surface with grated Grana Padano cheese 14. Bake in a preheated static oven at 355°F for about 20 minutes 15. Once ready, enjoy your baked ziti with lamb sauce hot.

Storage

You can store the baked ziti with lamb sauce in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

If you prefer, you can also freeze the dish either cooked or uncooked.

Tip

If you want to make the lamb ziti casserole more flavorful, add some diced pancetta. If you want to add a bit of aroma, you can choose to use either basil or rosemary!

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.

Baked ziti with lamb sauce

PRESENTATION

INGREDIENTS

How to prepare Baked ziti with lamb sauce

Storage

Tip

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