Baked Ziti
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Baked Ziti - A classic, comforting dish featuring ground turkey, pasta, sauce and parmesan cheese. Perfect for a family meal or entertaining a small group!
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Raise your hand if you love pasta. I mean. . . like you NEED pasta at least once a week. Yeah? Me, too. It's SO good, isn't it? It's delicious, it's perfect for lunch or dinner and. . .it's satisfying. This Baked Ziti I'm sharing today is so easy to prepare and can feed a hungry crew. A family of four can easily get two meals out of this. Who can't appreciate leftovers?
This whole pasta thing. . .is it strange that I start to almost salivate when I drain pasta? You do too, right? So, about this baked ziti - instead of using ground beef, I used ground turkey breast. Do you know that it was only maybe two years ago that I tried ground turkey for the first time? I was always a bit scared of it. Don't ask me why, but let me tell you what. . .when I use it in this ziti it tastes exactly like ground beef would. . .at least to me.
Once you mix the pasta, onions and sauce together you just transfer it all to a baking dish and top with some oregano and shredded Parmesan cheese. Then, you bake it for about 20 minutes - when the cheese is melted and it's nice and heated through, it's ready!
There's just something about baking pasta that infuses it with flavor. The deliciousness of the sauce and seasonings just seems to soak right into the pasta. Yum. Really. Yum.
Invite some family and friends over and dig into this classic dish. We love to pair it with a fresh salad. It's just the perfect, comforting meal.
This baked ziti has become a family favorite in our home, and I just have a feeling that you're going to love it, too!
For more great recipes, check out myalli.com/recipes-for-you!
Baked Ziti
Ingredients
- 1 pound ziti
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup onions (chopped)
- 1 pound turkey breast (ground)
- 26 ounces spaghetti sauce (reduced sodium)
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon oregano (dried)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
- Cook ziti according to package directions. Drain in colander and rinse lightly.
- Heat oil in large non-stick skillet over medium high heat.
- Saute onion until golden, about 3 minutes.
- Add the ground turkey and cook until no longer pink, about 8 minutes.
- Add the sauce. Bring sauce to a boil; then stir in the cooked noodles.
- Place the ziti mixture in a large baking pan lightly sprayed with cooking spray.
- Top with cheese and oregano.
- Bake until cheese is melted and casserole is heated through, about 20 minutes. Serve hot.
Notes
- Choose Quality Ingredients: Opt for high-quality spaghetti sauce and Parmesan cheese to enhance the flavor of your baked ziti. Look for reduced-sodium spaghetti sauce to control the sodium content of your dish while still enjoying the rich tomato flavor. Freshly grated Parmesan cheese will add a delightful nuttiness compared to pre-shredded varieties.
- Don't Overcook the Ziti: Cook the ziti just until it's al dente according to the package instructions. Overcooking can result in mushy pasta once it's baked in the oven. Rinsing the cooked ziti lightly with water after draining helps stop the cooking process and prevents the noodles from sticking together.
- Even Distribution of Ingredients: When combining the cooked noodles with the sauce in the skillet, ensure thorough mixing to evenly coat the ziti with the sauce. This ensures every bite is flavorful. Similarly, when transferring the ziti mixture to the baking pan, spread it out evenly to ensure even cooking and consistent flavor throughout the dish.
Looks and sounds really nice
Thank you, Joanne!