Easy Baked Ziti

Submitted by Chef #601730

"As a grad student, I'm always looking for recipes that are quick, easy and relatively cheap, but taste great at the same time! I adapted this ziti dish from a number of recipes online after none of them were precisely what I wanted. I hope that you enjoy it too. The cheese is simply what I tend to keep in the fridge and therefore what I had to put the recipe together. It was a good combination, but you can substitute whatever you would like for it. Equally, you can leave out the ground beef if you'd like it to be vegetarian. I would perhaps substitute some mushrooms, spinach, etc. for it."

 

• Ready In: 45mins
• Ingredients: 12
• Yields: 2-3 portions
• Serves: 2-3

ingredients

• 2 cups ziti pasta
• 1 cup spaghetti sauce (I use Napa Valley Bistro's Homemade Marinara)
• 1⁄2 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1⁄2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
• 4 tablespoons parmigiano-reggiano cheese
• 1⁄2 teaspoon mrs dash's italian seasoning (a shake or two of the bottle)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (a shake of the bottle)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon hot sauce (a shake or two of the bottle)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1⁄2 cup broccoli
• 1⁄4 lb ground beef (I use 10% fat, vegetarian-fed beef)
• olive oil

directions

1. Cook and drain ziti as per box instructions. Set aside.
2. In a greased 9x9 pyrex dish, mix together spaghetti sauce, 1/4 c mozzarella, 1/4 c cheddar, 2T parmesan reggiano, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and hot sauce.
3. In olive oil, saute garlic, broccoli and beef for a few minutes, until beef is brown. Season it to taste.
4. Add sauted ingredients and ziti to pan, and mix together well.
5. Top with remaining cheeses, and bake at 350F for half an hour.