Cheesy Baked Ziti

Just in time for the weekend, I thought I would share this beautiful casserole-style bake ziti I made this week! I am a big pasta lover myself, and this is one of my go to's! 

One of the reasons it is so great, is because it  makes such a large dish! If you have a large family to feed, this is perfect. Or in my case, extra for lunches. It heats up really well the next day! 

And come on, you can't go wrong with noodles and heaping amounts of cheese. You just can't.

Once you throw your tomato sauce together, you let it bubble and let all of the flavors cook down. In the meantime, you will boil your noodles.

Tip: you are totally welcome to use jarred sauce if you'd rather! I do it all the time. I love Classico sauce.

Once your sauce is all delicious and bubbly, you will combine your cooked noodles with egg, half of your sauce, Ricotta cheese, and Mozzarella..

This is where I debate finishing the recipe and just eating cheesy noodles..

Once it's combined, you're going to spread half of the noodles into the bottom of your baking dish. 

Tip: make sure it is a "lasagna" pan. It is just the right size and depth.

After you have your noodles laid out in the bottom of your dish, you will spoon generous tablespoons of Ricotta cheese and spoon fulls of your remaining sauce to make a layer, and then more noodles on top of that, more Ricotta cheese, and more sauce.. top it off with shredded Mozzarella and Parmesan...

Bake for 25 minutes...

And you have noodly cheesy goodness!

Try to exert a little self-control, and let it cool for 10 minutes or so. If you cut into it too soon, it may have a soupy, less layered, texture.

ENJOY! 

XO

FULL RECIPE

• 1 (16 oz.) package ziti pasta
• 2 cups (16 oz.) ricotta cheese, divided
• 1 cup (4 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (you can add more if you want it extra cheesy)
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes with juice
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. Bring large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions.
2. Saute onions and garlic in a skillet over medium heat for 4 minutes. Add tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste. Let sauce simmer on low for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat to cool.
3. Preheat oven to 375. Grease baking dish. I used 9x13 lasagna pan.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup Ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and an egg. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of your sauce, add your cooked noodles and coat them in this mixture.
5. Add half of the coated pasta to your baking dish, then drop the surface with tablespoons of Ricotta cheese. Add the rest of the pasta sauce on top. Top with more dollops of Ricotta cheese. Layer top with remaining pasta mixture, top with Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
6. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes, or until bubbling around edges. 
7. Let cool for 10 minutes, and then dig in :)