If you like pasta, tomato sauce, and cheese and you like being comforted by food I think it’s kind of tough to get better than this. It’s ooey gooey baked goodness. It’s like a pasta version of pizza! So, in other words, I’ve died and gone to heaven and it’s full of pizza/pasta hybrids.
But seriously, it’s a pretty darn great dinner on a cold winter night. Add a salad and you’re finished. Complete meal. You’ve got your protein from the egg and cheese, your carbs from the pasta, and even some veggie from the tomato sauce.
Best of all it can be prepped earlier in the day and baked right before eating. This means I can prep it during the day when I have a chance, and then before I take the kids up to bed I pop it in the oven. When Adam comes home from work an hour later there’s a hot meal waiting for him and the oven has done all the work for me.
Baked Ziti
1/2 pound ziti, cooked and drained
1.75 cups shredded mozzarella cheese made with 2% milk, separated
1 lb ricotta cheese, part skim milk or made with 2% milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried parsley
2 cups basic tomato sauce
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Boil the pasta, drain, and set aside.
In a large bowl mix together the ricotta cheese and the eggs and mix thoroughly until combined. Add in the Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried parsley, and 1/2 cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese. Stir to combine.
In a bowl mix 1 cup of tomato sauce into the pasta. Add in the ricotta mixture. Once integrated add 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese and toss to combine. Pour the mixture into a baking dish.
Top the mixture with 1 cup of tomato sauce and 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese. Cover with a layer of tin foil.
Bake for 20 minutes with the cover on. Remove the cover and bake for another 20 minutes.
Serve with extra sauce in a gravy boat and Parmesan for sprinkling.
Serves 4.
Imagine this with a glass of red wine on a winter’s night. Yum.
…and if you don’t like pasta, tomato sauce and cheese, keep it to yourself (because I hate to break this to you, but you’re a freak of nature). I’m sorry I had to be the one to tell you.