Baked Ziti

Good

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil salted water in large pot. While water is boiling, mince garlic, chop onions, chop basil, chop parsley, and roughly chop tomatoes. Set aside separately. Sauté onions in another large pot with olive oil until translucent. Add salt and pepper to taste. Then add tomatoes until liquid from tomatoes is reduced. Add Italian seasoning. Next add garlic and continue cooking for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste mixture, add more salt and pepper if needed. Then put tomatoes mixture in a bowl and set aside.

Step 2

Brown ground beef in the pot that had the tomatoes. (No need for any oil if non stick pot) Make sure that the ground beef is in small pieces. Add chopped basil and pepper flakes. Salt and pepper to taste. Add back the tomato mixture to the ground beef. Then add Rao’s marinara sauce. Salt and pepper to taste.

Step 3

While sauce is simmering, boil ziti in heavily salted water until very al dente. Before draining, save 1 cup of pasta water. Put pasta back in its pot.

Step 4

Pour half of the sauce and 1 cup of pasta water into the pasta. Once mixed, pour half of the pasta into a prepared casserole dish. (Spray dish with cooking spray) Dollop ricotta cheese on top of pasta. Pour remaining pasta over ricotta cheese. Next pour remaining sauce over the pasta. Top with the rest of the sauce. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella and Parmesan cheese on top. Garnish with chopped parsley. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes until cheese is melted.