Baked Ziti

Ingredients

• 3 cups (8 ounces) ziti, uncooked
• 3/4 pound ground beef or sausage (out of the casing) (meat is optional)
• 3 cups (about 28 ounces) spaghetti sauce
• 1 3/4 cups (15 ounces) ricotta cheese
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided into 2 1-cup portions
• 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• grated Parmesean cheese

Step by step

• Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Cook pasta according to package directions for 8 minutes.
• Drain the pasta.
• If you choose to have meat in your ziti:
• In a large skillet over medium heat, brown meat until thoroughly cooked.
• Drain the meat.
• Stir spaghetti sauce into the meat.
• Simmer for 10 minutes.
• In a small bown, stir together ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and the seasonings.
• Toss hot pasta with the sauce.
• Spoon 1/2 of the pasta mixture into a 13" by 9" by 2" baking dish.
• Spread the cheese mixture in the dish over the pasta.
• Layer the remaining pasta in the dish over the cheese mixture.
• Sprinkle pasta with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
• Cover the dish loosely with foil.
• Bake for 25 minutes.
• Remove the foil.
• Bake for an additional 5 minutes or until the cheeses are hot and bubbly.
• Make 7 1-cup servings.