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When homemade meatballs meet traditional baked ziti, you get an irresistible Italian comfort food masterpiece. Blending soft pasta, juicy meatballs, thick marinara, and gooey burrata turns basic components into a family dinner everyone will remember.
Once you try how the burrata forms creamy spots throughout the pasta, you won't want to go back to plain mozzarella. My kids now specifically ask for this dish whenever their birthdays roll around.
Key Components:
- Ziti pasta: Traps sauce in its hollow centers
- Pork and beef mix: Creates tastier, juicier meatballs
- Burrata cheese: Delivers milky, creamy surprises
- Rich marinara: Make yours or grab a good store brand
- Basil leaves: Gives a fresh pop
- Italian herbs: Builds rich flavor layers
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Step-by-Step Guide:
- Craft Your Meatballs
- Combine meats with breadcrumbs and herbs
- Shape into bite-sized rounds
- Sear in batches until golden outside
- Remove while centers remain slightly pink
- Boil The Pasta
- Cook ziti a couple minutes under package time
- Save some cooking water
- Drain but skip rinsing
- Coat lightly with olive oil
- Assemble Everything
- Stir pasta with sauce
- Distribute meatballs around the dish
- Break burrata over the top
- Sprinkle with grated Parmesan
- Finish In The Oven
- Start with foil covering
- Uncover for final 10 minutes
- Look for bubbling around edges
- Cool slightly before digging in
I learned something important the first time I made this - waiting 15 minutes after it comes out of the oven lets the cheese settle perfectly so it's not too runny.
Prep Ahead Tricks:
Put everything together up to a day early, just let it warm up before popping in the oven.
Cheese Options:
Though burrata can't be beat, fresh mozzarella or even a blend of different cheeses works great too.
What To Serve With It:
Add some crusty garlic bread and a basic green salad with lemony dressing on the side.
Handling Extras:
Leftover portions heat up great when covered with foil in a gentle oven.
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Pro Tricks:
- Keep your hands cool when rolling meatballs
- Tuck cheese into different spots throughout
- Add salt and pepper to each component
After tweaking this dish for years, I've found that taking your time with browning the meatballs and carefully placing cheese throughout creates the most amazing blend of tastes and textures.
Common Recipe Questions
- → Can I use store-bought meatballs?
- Of course, but homemade tastes better. Let frozen ones thaw first.
- → What’s this burrata stuff?
- It’s fresh cheese with a soft, creamy center. Mozzarella is a good substitute.
- → Can I put it together ahead of time?
- Yup, prep it a day early but bake longer if straight from the fridge.
- → Can I stick it in the freezer?
- Yes, but leave out the burrata. Add it fresh when heating it up.
- → Got other pasta ideas?
- Try using penne or even rigatoni instead—they’ll work just as well.