This all-in-one beef ziti is made entirely in the skillet and whips up in 30 minutes flat! Your family will love how hot and cheesy it is—Serve with crusty bread for a stick-to-your-ribs dinner!
Uh-oh. I said the Z word. Z-z-z-ZITI! You are definitely in for a carb-loaded treat today….and perhaps a ton a bit of rambling from me about my love for pasta, cheese and CARBS.
Dear carbs: You’re my best friend and no matter how much I might not appreciate how tight you make my skinny jeans, I will always love you FOREVER.
Because to be honest? You’re pretty irresistible. ♥
Also, I’m craving all things cozy right about now. We got our first “real” stick-to-the-ground 2 inches of snow yesterday and it’s STILL sticking around…
Not. Okay.
Okay I promise I won’t whine ’bout the white stuff. Let’s talk skillet dinners, shall we? They’re my ultimate weakness. Preeetty much for 3 top reasons:
1. (this is a little obv) They’re SO stinkin’ fast! Bam-bam-BAM. Dinner’s on. Stuff ‘yo faces.
2. Less dishes! This is always a big plus for me, since it seems every time I turn there’s ALWAYS new mountains of dishes waiting to be washed.
3. (most important) They’re almost ALWAYS filled with some kind of carb-y goodness. ♥
And as we just discussed above: Carbs and all things cozy are your friend.
Baked ziti is one my fall-back/go-to weeknight dinners. It’s relatively simple, it’s an entire meal-in-one, and obv the CARBS are a big plus.
But the other day? Time was not on my side as I was struggling to finish a photoshoot before my light went buh-bye and the troops were already starting to complain that they were “starving.” (fact: no one is ever starving in this house)
So I said to that already-cooked pasta I had on the counter: “You know what? You’re going in the skillet today.”
Into the skillet it went, along with browned ground beef, lotsa’ sauce, cheese, and CHEESE.
The cheese is doubled and in all caps to stress how important it is. As if we needed a reminder.
I wasn’t expecting this said skillet dinner to turn out as amazing as it did, but it DID and holy baloney, guys. You’d have thought I NEVER fed people around here judging from the way they face-shoveled this ziti that night.
It’s kinda been made 5 times since then. Because to tell you the truth, I can’t get enough either.
My jeans? They’re currently telling me that they’ve had enough, but I’m just choosing to ignore them.
Literally all you’re gonna need for this zippy ziti is the pasta, crushed tomatoes, ground beef (for a meatless option, feel free to leave it out!) a few seasonings and obv, the CHEESE. (again, in all caps)
My favorite part about this skillet ziti (besides obv, the EATING part) is lifting the lid on the skillet after dumping on the cheese.
Holyyyyy melty-cheesy goodness….it seriously knocks me off my feet every time.
And just like that my self-control is gone.
Everyone has at least 30 minutes to spend on dinner right?! Awesome, then you can make this skillet ziti and become the apple of everyone at the dinner table’s eye. And the Queen of the Carbs.
MORE than appropriate for a Monday, I’m thinking…
Bring ON zee carbs. ♥
Skillet Cheesy Beef Ziti
Ingredients
- 1 lb rotini pasta
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions until just barely tender. Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef, onion, and garlic until meat is no longer pink. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir crushed tomatoes, water, seasonings, and cooked pasta into meat.
- Continue cooking ziti over medium-low heat 5-10 minutes stirring frequently until completely heated through. Remove from heat and top with shredded cheese and parsley. Cover skillet and let stand 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve ziti warm.
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
Mondays definitely call for those carb-loaded kinds of meals! This ziti looks amazing, Sarah! I love how cheesy and full of flavors this is. And even better that it can be made in just 30 minutes! Sounds like the perfect weeknight meal to me!
Sarah says
Thanks Gayle! 30 minute meals FTW especially on a Monday! 🙂
Renee @ Two in the Kitchen says
Sarah, this looks amazing!!! I love all that cheesy goodness! 🙂
Sarah says
Thanks Renee!!
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
oh my gawd, girl. . this cheesy ziti looks SO AMAZING. Like, seriously, you nailed it. love dishes like this for weeknight dinners . . so easy and quick. . and everyone will love it! Pinned!!
Sarah says
Thanks for pinning, Alice and for the super-sweet words! You rock, girl. 🙂
Ceara @ Ceara's Kitchen says
Oh my word Sarah! This skillet ziti looks so amazing – yumm!! Pinned!
Sarah says
Thank you Ceara!! 🙂
Heather @ Shards of Lavender says
Carbs are the best and I love skillet dinners because they’re so quick and the cleanup is minimal! Ziti is my favorite pasta because the spirals pick up all the sauce and cheese better than thinner noodles:) This looks like the perfect dinner for my family, Sarah. Thanks for the recipe!
Sarah says
Totally agree with you about the spiral pasta, Heather! Just can’t beat it in a ziti! 😉 Thanks so much girl!
Kelly // The Pretty Bee: Cooking & Creating says
Total comfort food! This looks amazing! We have a bit of snow here too, so bring on the carbs!
Sarah says
Thank you Kelly! If it’s snowy where you are too, then you definitely need this ziti in your life!
Jessica @ Jessica in the Kitchen says
This looks beautiful and delicious Sarah! Although I’m vegetarian the Mr. would definitely enjoy this – and love the one pot-edness of it!
Sarah says
Thanks Jessica! If you want, you could totally just leave the beef outta this ziti! 😉
Natalie @ Tastes Lovely says
Time for me to bust out the stretchy pants! Because these baked ziti looks amazing! I love all that melty cheese.
Sarah says
Haha busting out the stretchy pants would probably be a wise move! Mine have been out for a looooong time already. 😉 LOL Thanks Natalie!
Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl says
This is pretty much my dream meal… cheesy… pasta.. and oh so perfect! This will be our dinner table very soon!
Sarah says
Totally everything yum and cozy, right?! You just cannot go wrong. 😉 LMK how it turns out Pamela!
marcie says
Carbs are my biggest weakness…actually they’re right up there next to chocolate! This cheesy skillet pasta looks so delicious, and needs to happy soon. This would be such a great week night meal!
Sarah says
Haha! Same deal with me, Marcie! Carbs come in a super-close second next to chocolate. 😀
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
I can’t believe how delicious this looks, and healthy too? Sign me up!
Sarah says
Thank you so much, Jocelyn! Healthy carb-y food for the WIN always! 🙂
Ashley | The Recipe Rebel says
My pregnant body gave up on skinny jeans about 6 months ago, so I’ll take all the carbs I can get! LOVE how easy this is!
Sarah says
Haha! You have the perfect excuse to eat all of this ziti, Ashley! I’m positive you would love it. 😀
Kristi @ Inspiration Kitchen says
Sarah – I love one skillet dishes that come together in 30 minutes! This looks so cheesy, beefy and delicious I can hardly stand it! Pinned!
Sarah says
Those kinda dinners are just the best aren’t they?! Can’t beat ’em. 😀 Thanks for the pin, Kristi!
Kelly - A Side of Sweet says
This looks absolutely mouthwatering! I can’t even comprehend the deliciousness. Omm nom nom.
Sarah says
Haha! Thanks so much Kelly! You’re too sweet, girl! 😉
Kelly - Life Made Sweeter says
Dear Sarah, please make as much of this gorgeous Ziti as you want and feel free to send any leftovers my way. I will be waiting patiently sporting my stretchy preggo jeans because those skinny jeans just aren’t going to cut it. Looking forward to digging into this cheesy carbilicious meal. Thank you 🙂 ♥
Sarah says
Haha! Kelly you are welcome over for dinner anytime, girl! I’ll gladly share some of this ziti with you! 😀
Amber @ Dessert Now, Dinner Later! says
Pasta speaks to me because I’m Italian. Loving the way this looks!
Sarah says
I didn’t know you were Italian, Amber! How cool is that?!