The Speedy Baked Ziti

Even in the midst of a global pandemic its been beautiful to see all of the annoucements from friends and family who are expanding their circle with a new baby, adoption, fostering or perhaps even a new spouse to a loved one. These times are joyous but they can also be hectic — then you factor in meals and all bets are off! The Speedy Baked Ziti is a perfect meal to share with those you love, plus its super quick to make (and did I mention it freezes well too).

Ingredients:

• Large casserole dish

• 1 24 ounce jar of pasta sauce

• Shredded mozzarella

• 12 ounces of ricotta cheese

• 1 Box of ziti pasta ( I also like Banza’s chickpea pasta)

• 1 pound lean ground sirloin (you can also use ground turkey if you prefer)

• 1 garlic clove, minced

Recipe:

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and bring a large pot of salt water to a boil, add your ziti and cook until it is al dente - drain the past once it is done

• While the pasta is cooking, put a little bit of olive oil in a large skillet, add your garlic and brown your meat, mixing the garlic and meat together

• Once the meat is no longer pink, add you marinara sauce and stir the meat and marinara together

• Add the meat and marinara to the ziti in the large pot, along with the ricotta and mix together, making sure the pasta is coated well

• Pour the baked ziti into your casserole dish and sprinkle a generous amount of mozzarella on top

• Lastly, bake for 15 minutes and enjoy!