This is a favorite recipe from a family cookbook submitted by my cousin Jessica. We've modified it a bit to fit our family's tastes. For starters, it doesn't really matter to me what shape the pasta is, for instance the pasta in this picture is Cars pasta. You know, from the Disney movie. I found it at Target and had to buy it because I have little boys. Secondly, I use my own spaghetti sauce recipe, found here.
Also, recently I have totally fallen in love with the usage of whole milk fresh mozzarella. Not the low-fat, part skim mozzarella found by the sandwich meats and cheeses, but the kind that is found in the specialty cheese section of the deli at your local grocery store. It doesn't slice as well, but when it's melted, it is heaven. I always wondered why sometimes the cheese on pizza is gooey and stringy and stretchy and wonderful, and sometimes, it's not. The whole milk fresh mozzarella rocks my world. I made grilled cheese sandwiches the other night with sharp cheddar for a bit of tang, and fresh mozzarella, and the kids devoured them.
The recipe also calls for hamburger or ground sausage, but just because we had it on hand one day I used the Hillshire Farms Turkey Sausage and the kids loved that little change.
Baked Ziti
1 lb ziti or penne pasta
1 jar spaghetti sauce
8 oz mozzarella or fresh mozzarella cheese
Cook Pasta in boiling water according to package direction. While pasta boils cut mozzarella cheese into small cubes. Drain pasta and put in 9"x 13" baking dish or other large casserole. Stir in spaghetti sauce and cubed cheese. Cover. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Option can add 1/2 to 1 lb browned hamburger or ground sausage.
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