Cheesy Baked Ziti Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Servings 10
Ingredients 1 (1-pound) box ziti 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion, finely diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 pound bulk Italian sausage 2 (24-ounce) jars marinara 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 (8-ounce) package shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
asta is one of my greatest P weaknesses. Opening a menu, my eyes are immediately drawn to the
pasta dishes, and I rarely pass it up. There’s just something comforting and satisfying about a big bowl of pasta with a delicious sauce. While most of us associate pasta with Italy, it’s likely that pasta originated in Asia. Regardless of where it started, nearly every country has its own version of the simple and inexpensive dish made from flour and eggs. And while I’ve created a countless number of pasta recipes over the years, here are a few of my favorites. Tomato Bacon Pasta has been a family favorite for years. The acid in the tomatoes is the perfect complement to the smoky bacon flavor. We love this as a savory side, but it works great as a main dish as well. You can even add sliced grilled chicken for a little more protein and turn it into a super-hearty supper. Cajun Chicken Pasta is a shortcut recipe that isn’t short on flavor. This dish turns a simple jar of Alfredo sauce into a tasty pasta dish reminiscent of New Orleans. We love this quick and easy
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March/Spring 2020
Heat oven to 350 F and lightly spray a 9-by-13-inch baking Stacey’s te dish with nonstick cooking No spray. Cook the pasta to al Recipe o t e s the chee ned, e dente according to package k li u o If y row d and b hout instructions. Drain and set e t s a o t be ake wit aside. simply b inum foil m lu While the pasta cooks, a the cover. heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet or Dutch dish on busy weeknights, oven. Add onion and cook until but it’s fancy enough for translucent. Add garlic and cook company, too. about 1 minute. Add sausage and There is a reason this Ultimate crumble and cook until just browned. Chicken Spaghetti is the most popular Drain away the excess fat and return recipe on SouthernBite.com…it’s just the meat and onion mixture to the amazing! This recipe consistently gets heat. Add the marinara and Italian 5-star ratings from readers. It’s easy, too. seasoning. Add salt and pepper to While the recipe makes a lot, it freezes taste. Fold in the pasta, being sure to well, and leftovers reheat amazingly. coat it in the sauce. Like a little heat? Be sure to add the Add about half of the pasta and spicier version of Ro*Tel to give it a sauce mixture to the prepared baking kick. Check out SouthernBite.com for a dish. Stir the ricotta to make it smooth, super-easy slow cooker version of this then drop dollops of it evenly onto the sure-fire family favorite. pasta. Sprinkle all the Parmesan and My classic Cheesy Baked Ziti is about half of the mozzarella cheese another one of those dishes that’s only over it. made better by its ease of assembly. Add the remaining pasta mixture We often make a big batch for Sunday in another layer. Top with remaining supper and then have leftovers for those mozzarella cheese. Cover tightly with busy weeknights when we’re stretched aluminum foil and bake 20 to 25 between homework and soccer practice minutes or until the cheese has melted. and cooking is a struggle. It’s also perfect to take along to folks who need Stacey Little is a foodie, recipe a little comfort. Maybe they’ve just had developer and cookbook author a baby, been in the hospital or suffered whose Southern Bite blog helps families put simple, down-to-earth the loss of a loved one. No matter the food on the table while preserving case, we all need to be loved on every Southern cooking for future generations. See more recipes at now and then, and this is the perfect southernbite.com. dish for any of these occasions. alfafarmers.org
