Short Rib Baked Ziti

A classic Baked Ziti consists of a Red Sauce mixed in with Pasta, topped with Mozzarella Cheese and then baked until gooey and delicious. It’s a classic dish famous for being served in Pizza places all around the country and is always a hot item. In this recipe we show you how to make our amazing Short Rib Baked Ziti. This dish uses all the hallmark characteristics of a classic Baked Ziti but ramps up the indulgence and flavors by using wonderfully slow braised Beef Short Ribs. It’s a hearty and delicious meal perfect to feed a hungry family

The star of this dish is the Beef Short Ribs

It goes without saying that when Short Ribs are introduced into any dish, they will ultimately become the hero ingredient. Rich, Beefy flavors with a beautiful fatty gelatinous quality that melts away into a tender and flavorful bite once slow cooked. Indeed, Beef Short Ribs have seen a huge resurgence in popularity because of how remarkably tasty they are, which is why their prices have skyrocketed in recent years

The best way to prepare the Beef for our Short Rib Baked Ziti is a slow braise. What I love about braising is how easy it is to make. Simply add a couple of ingredients into a pot along with the Beef, ensuring they are fully submerged. Throw a lid on and drop the heat to low and let that braising liquid slowly tenderize the Beef while infusing it with so many wonderful flavors

For the braise we are keeping things very simple. A Classic Red Sauce / Tomato Sauce base with the familiar flavors of Onion, Garlic, and Tomatoes. To ramp up the luxury and sophistication of the flavor we are also using Red Wine. The braising liquid will take about 20 minutes to prepare, then those Beef Short Ribs get submerged and slow cook for at least 4 hours to properly cook

How to tell when your Beef Short Ribs are cooked

There is a simple tell-tale sign that the Short Ribs are cooked completely, and it’s really easy. Once they fall off the bone and start to easily break apart into beautiful strands of Beef, they’re cooked. This will take a while. In fact, when we were cooking this recipe, it took about 5 hours using a traditional dutch oven on the stovetop

The key to making anything with Short Ribs is patience and preparation. I prefer to make the meat sauce a day in advance, that way you can ensure the Beef is cooked perfectly and you’re not rushing to get it done by dinnertime

If you are cooking our Short Rib Baked Ziti for dinner on the same night, I highly recommend starting the process in the morning. Always all yourself more time than you need when it comes to slow cooking. Remember, once the Short Ribs are perfectly cooked the dish still isn’t complete!

Making a beautiful Pasta Bake ready for the oven

The traditional Pasta to use in a Baked Ziti is, of course, Ziti. You can simply use Penne Pasta, as I believe they’re basically the same thing. Long, tube-like shapes that are perfectly for holding a delicious Tomato and Meat based sauce

Just boil up your Pasta in water that’s been heavily Salted (as that helps to season the Pasta) until it’s slightly under cooked. You want it to still be a little chewy. Remember, it’ll still cook while baking, and in my opinion the best Baked Ziti has slightly chewy Pasta

I recommend spooning the meat sauce into the Pasta to measure out the optimal quantity needed

Measuring out the optimal ratio of Meat Sauce to Pasta can be a little tough, so I recommend doing it by sight. We’ll be using all the Pasta in the Baked Ziti, but likely you’ll have leftover meat sauce. So, once your Pasta is cooked, strain it and return it to the pot. Then, add one spoonful of Meat Sauce at a time and mix until you’ve got the desired volume

The best ratio is to have slightly more Pasta than meat sauce. Otherwise, the meat sauce will completely overpower the dish, and you’ll end up with more of a casserole or pie than a Baked Ziti. Once you’re happy with the ratios, pour it all into a high sided baking pan ready to go in the oven

It’s just not a Baked Ziti without Cheese!

To finish off our Short Rib Baked Ziti before it goes in the oven is the most critical component. That’s right, mountains of grated Cheese on top! Ok maybe not mountains, but you do want a generous quantity of Mozzarella Cheese to completely blanket the top of your Baked Ziti

I like to add some freshly grated Parmesan Cheese into the mix too. It doesn’t possess the melting qualities of Mozzarella, but it is absolutely loaded with flavor. Once the Cheese is on there, finish with some fresh or dried herbs then bake for about 20 minutes until the cheese has melted and turned golden brown

That’s all there is to it! Your delicious Short Rib Baked Ziti is now ready to enjoy. Unlike other dishes like Lasagna or Potatoes Gratin, Baked Ziti doesn’t need to sit before you serve. In fact, it’s best to serve immediately out of the oven so the Mozzarella Cheese is still gooey and delicious!

Short Rib Baked Ziti Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 lbs. Beef Short Ribs
• ½ cup All Purpose Flour
• 2 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 1 Yellow Onion, diced
• 4 Garlic Cloves, finely diced
• 1 ½ cups of Red Wine
• 2 tbsp. Tomato Paste
• 800ml / 27 oz. Canned Tomatoes
• 500g / 18 oz. Dried Ziti / Penne Pasta
• 1 cup Mozzarella Cheese, freshly grated
• ½ cup Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated
• 1 tbsp. Thyme or Oregano
• Salt and Pepper
  
  

Instructions

1. Season the Flour well with Salt and Pepper and then coat the Short Ribs. Dust off any excess Flour and then fry for 2 minutes on each side in a large pot with Olive Oil over medium heat
2. Once browned, set the Short Ribs aside and place the diced Onion in the same pot that was used to fry the Beef. Cook for 6 – 7 minutes until the Onion starts to caramelize then add the Garlic
3. Cook for 1 more minute until the Garlic is fragrant then add the Wine. Cook down for 5 minutes over medium high heat then add the Tomato Paste and Canned Tomatoes. Season with 2 tsp. of Salt and bring to a boil
4. Reduce the heat to low then add the Short Ribs so they are submerged. Add a little Stock or Water if needed to ensure the Short Ribs are submerged. Cover and braise for 5 hours, stirring every hour
5. Remove lid cook for a further 30 minutes, increasing the heat slightly. Once the sauce has thickened and the Short Ribs are fall-apart tender, tear apart the Beef using two forks. Remove the Bones and then set the meat sauce aside
6. Fill a large pot with water and season well with Salt. Bring to a boil then add the Pasta and cook until al-dente (about 7 – 8 minutes). Strain and return to the large pot
   
   

Assembly

7. Spoon in 1 large spoonful of meat sauce at a time to combine with the Pasta and mix through. Once the ratio is about 60 / 40 Pasta to Meat Sauce, transfer the Pasta and Meat mixture to a large high sided baking tray
8. Sprinkle the top with Mozzarella and Parmesan, ensuring a thorough coating. Add the Herbs (dried or fresh) then bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 375F until the cheese is golden-brown and melted
9. Remove from oven and serve immediately while hot
   
   

Recipe Notes

• Be wary that this dish takes about 6 hours to cook. You can prepare the meat sauce a day in advance and then assemble your Pasta bake for dinner the following day
• This dish also works using regular ground meat (try as mixture of ground Pork and Beef)
  
  

Our delicious Beef Short Rib Baked Ziti offers a tasty, flavorful twist on the classic Pasta Bake dish we all know and love. The inclusion of slow cooked Beef Short Ribs and Red Wine give this dish a beautiful layer of sophisticated flavor that makes this a truly special, yet simple dish to make at home

For more tasty dinner recipes to feed the family, we recommend you check out these dishes:

• Chicken and Mushroom Risotto
• The Perfect Porterhouse Steak
• Braised Oxtail with Red Wine
• Classic Lasagna
  
  

Happy Cooking!