Baked Ziti - My Husband's Favorite
Created by natsgarden123 on September 5, 2021
- Servings: 8
- Prep Time: 30m
- Cook Time: 40m
- Recipe #37396
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry ziti pasta
- 1 jar (32 ounce) pasta sauce (preferably Raos)
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pound mozzarella cheese (chunk of whole milk mozzarella cheese preferably polly-o, grated)
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 8 ounces cottage cheese
- 1 cup milk
- 6 tablespoons of butter
How to Make
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Step 1: Brown the ground beef well over medium heat, in the olive oil - make sure all the liquid has evaporated and that the meat is browning, the mix in the salt and garlic powder.
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Step 2: Reduce the heat to simmer, and mix in the pasta sauce- let the sauce simmer at least 30 minutes.
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Step 3: Preheat the oven to 350F.
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Step 4: Cook the ziti in salted water until just soft - drain the water and return the ziti into the pot, set aside.
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Step 5: In a small saucepan, over low , melt the butter, then add the milk, half of the grated mozzarella and 1/4 cup of the parmesan - whisk constantly until a smooth sauce forms.
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Step 6: To the pot of cooked ziti, mix in the cheese sauce and the cottage cheese.
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Step 7: Mix in the pasta meat sauce.
How to Make
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Step 8: Spray the lasagna pan with nonstick spray, then pour the pasta/cheese/meat sauce into the pan.
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Step 9: Cover with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan.
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Step 10: Bake under tented foil for 15 minutes, then remove the foil and bake another 20 minutes or so, until the top is gently browned