favorite baked ziti recipes?

[silverrr]

Could you please post your favorite baked ziti recipe? I would love just a traditional tasting delicious baked ziti that would please a crowd. Thanks!

[greysangel]

I don't have a tried and true, however I found this at allrecipes.com and it's got like 400 glowing reviews. Looks good to me!

Baked Ziti
Allrecipes.com
Serves 4

Ingredients
1/2 pound dry ziti pasta
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 (26 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
3 ounces Provolone cheese, sliced
3/4 cup sour cream
3 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
1 Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.
2 In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.
3 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
4 Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.

[TamiKnight]

I'm at work right now, but when I get home, I'll post one I have from one of the Weight Watchers cookbooks. I've been making it for several years, and it's very hearty and satisfying. It's one that my adult children sometimes call and ask me to fix so they can come over for dinner. :D

[WeekendCook]

I've made the recipe posted by greysangel several times -- it's just about fool-proof. Just a comment about the ingredients -- the amounts as listed are what I make in a 9" x 9" pan. If you double the ingredient amounts listed in her post, it will be a perfect amount for a 9" x 13" pan. I make it with low fat sour cream (can't tell the difference between that and the full fat stuff) and use hot turkey sausage instead of ground beef. We like the flavor that the turkey sausage adds.

[mrswaz]

By far the best baked ziti I ever made was from the CL Annual 2002. It is a vegetarian ziti with portabella mushrooms in it and ricotta on top. It was very easy, and very yummy. I'll see if I can find it later today and post it. DH absolutely loved it, and he is not a big pasta man, so when he eats the leftovers, it must be good.

[slknight]

The baked ziti reccipe on this thread that Beckms posted is excellent! I've made it several times and think I can make it in my sleep.:D

http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=23811&highlight=ziti

I'm editing to copy the recipe from that thread to here. In doing so, I realized that it is almost exactly the same as the one posted earlier. It's just double the amount of most everything. It leaves out the onion, but puts in italian sausage and more parm. All the other ingredients are the same.

Baked Ziti
* Exported from MasterCook *


Recipe By :
Serving Size : 10 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 pound uncooked ziti
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground sweet Italian sausage
2 26-oz jars pasta sauce
6 ounces provolone cheese -- sliced
1 1/2 cups light sour cream
6 ounces mozzarella cheese -- shredded
1/2 cup parmesan cheese -- grated

Preheat oven to 350.
Cook pasta until barely al dente (will cook further in oven).
Combine the beef and sausage and brown in a skillet. Add the sauce and simmer until pasta is finished.
In a 9x13 pan coated with cooking spray, spread half of the ziti.
Layer the provolone cheese on the ziti, then spread the sour cream over the cheese.
Ladle half of the sauce mixture over the sour cream.
Spread the remaining half of the ziti in the pan.
Cover with remaiining sauce, top with the mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5 more minutes. Let the pan sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Source:
"Epicurious"

[Susan]

Here's my favorite! A friend brought this to me after the birth of my second baby. I make it often since my whole family loves it! It's easy to be creative with this recipe too. Sometimes I add mushrooms and black olives. I also add Italian seasoning and am very heavy with the garlic! :) Enjoy!

~Susan~

BAKED ZITI AND SPINACH

1 lb ground beef
16 oz penne pasta
16 oz package frozen spinach
can spaghetti sauce (I've used Hunt's traditional at times.)
2 cans diced tomatoes (the ones flavored with basil, oregano and garlic are great with this dish!)
16 oz cottage cheese
8 oz mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2 eggs
small onion
minced garlic
oregano
basil

Thaw spinach in advance. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cottage cheese with eggs and sit aside. Put water on to boil for noodles and start browning meat with onion and minced garlic (to taste). Drain meat mixture. Add spaghetti sauce and 2 cans of diced tomatoes. Add oregano and basil to taste. Let cook together on low heat 5-10 minutes. Add spinach to sauce after you've removed it from the heat. Mix the noodles, sauce, cottage cheese mixture, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan with a wooden spoon (so as not to break your noodles). Poor into two 11 x 13 baking dishes. Bake for 40-45 minutes.
**This makes A LOT. I cut the recipe in half for just us and we still have enough left-overs for another meal!**

[TamiKnight]

Now that I'm home, here's the one I use:

* Exported from MasterCook *

Ziti Casserole

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Do-Ahead Italian
Pasta

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/2 pound ground chuck
1/2 pound ground turkey
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup sliced mushroom
3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 clove garlic
1 cup water
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
29 ounces tomatoes, stewed -- diced
6 ounces Italian-style tomato paste
3 cups cooked ziti pasta -- 2 1/4 c. uncooked
1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese -- (2 ounces)

Preheat oven to 375.

Cook ground chuck and turkey in a Dutchoven over medium-high heat until browned, stirring until meat crumbles. Drain in a colander and set aside.

Coat pan with cooking spray, and place over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion, mushrooms, bell pepper, and garlic; saute until vegetables are tender. Return meat mixture to pan. Add water and next 6 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and stir in pasta.

Spoon into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cover and bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Cover loosely, and let stand 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

Points: 5
Cal: 251, Fat 8.8 grams, Fiber 3.3 grams.


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 260 Calories; 10g Fat (35.6% calories from fat); 16g Protein; 26g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 48mg Cholesterol; 237mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2

[pwrmom]

Susan,
I just made that ziti casserole yesterday halving the recipe, sacrificing the spinach due to children's request, and making WW Take Out Tonight's Meatballs to have on the side. We just finished the leftovers tonight using the meatballs in grinders! Now I'll have to try the other Susan's (Beckms's recipe) and Tami's next! Mmmm, love those winter comfort meals....
Linda

[Jennifer8]

I'm a big fan of CL's Baked Rigatoni with Beef -- works well with whatever tube pasta you've got on hand. It's simple to prepare ahead of time and really does taste better a day or two after you make the sauce. You'll find the recipe at

http://cookinglight.timeinc.net/cooking/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=222197

[valchemist]

Susan, what size can of spaghetti sauce is that for your baked spincach and ziti. I have copied it into mastecook and want to be sure to get it right.

[sueandwill]

All these recipes sound great!
I would like to make one for a friend who is expecting twins in February.
Can these be frozen ?
Sue

[Valerie226]

For mrswaz... Hope you can find that ziti recipe. Ihave some portobellos that need using and also some ricotta. I'll try a search but would appreciate if you could post it. thanks, valerie

[valchemist]

Valerie,

this must be the one.

Valerie




* Exported from MasterCook *

Baked Ziti With Vegetables and Mushrooms

Recipe By :Cooking Light Magazine. March 2001. Page: 128.
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Pasta

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 1/2 cups chopped portobello, cremini, or button
mushrooms
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 can (14-1/2-ounce) stewed tomatoes, undrained
and chopped
1 can (8-ounce) tomato sauce
7 cups torn spinach (about 1/2 pound)
3 cups hot cooked ziti (about 2-1/4 cups
uncooked short tube-shaped pasta)
Cooking spray
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Directions.
A favorite in many homes on "Italian night," baked ziti is usually laden with meat and cheese. This version relies on the flavors of mushrooms and spinach instead.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell peppers, and saute 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic; saute 2 minutes. Stir in basil, salt, black pepper, tomatoes, and tomato sauce, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes or until slightly thick. Stir in spinach; cook 1 minute or until spinach wilts. Stir in pasta. Spoon into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Dollop with ricotta.

3. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup).

Note: To make ahead, assemble casserole as directed. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature, and bake as directed.

[Valerie226]

Val, how do you do this? I just did a short search for the ziti recipe, was unsuccesful, and came back to this thread in 3 minutes and there it was!.. Amazing. I think I will just follow you around the BB and let you plan my meals. do you do windows too? valerie

[valchemist]

I had it in mastercook. :)

[mrswaz]

Thanks for posting Val!

I'd forgotten my promise to look it up until this morning.:rolleyes:

[Susan]

Originally posted by valchemist
Susan, what size can of spaghetti sauce is that for your baked spincach and ziti. I have copied it into mastecook and want to be sure to get it right.

26.5 oz. can

Now I'm hungry for ziti! :D

~Susan~

[valchemist]

ok. thanks. just to be sure though, is that for the full recipe or for the half recipe that you like to make?

[Susan]

Good question, Val! I hadn't even thought of that! It's for the whole recipe but sometimes I have used slightly more when I've halved the recipe. I have also used jarred sauce in place of the canned kind or even homemade.

[dcornelius]

I think I am gonna go for something along the lines of this CL recipe altered to fit what I have on hand....
I am gonna use lindrusso's marinara sauce instead of the tomatoes and tomatoe sauce! That is great stuff and I think it will make a great ziti! Yummy, now I am rally looking forward to some ziti, I may just have to make it for tonight!

[Canice]

Thanks, silverrr - what a great idea for a thread! I am forever looking for a great baked pasta dish. Following is a recipe for Baked Ziti, Soprano-Style (inspired by the TV show) that I got from the SF Chronicle. I've only made it twice, but it was very well received both times....

This is a great party dish to serve at home because it can be made ahead of time. Serve with a tossed green salad and a bottle of Chianti. This dish was inspired by Erica de Mane's recipe in the March, 2000 issue of Fine Cooking.

Baked Ziti with Fennel Sausage, Soprano-Style

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 pound Italian fennel sausage, or other Italian sausage
1 large white onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup dry red wine
1 35 oz. can organic tomtoes, chopped with their juices
1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves or 2 Tbsp. dried oregano
1 cup fresh ricotta
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/3 cup chopped Italian parsley
1 pound ziti or penne
1/2 pound mozzarella, preferably fresh, torn into small pieces

Prehead the oven to 425F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with about 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil.
Remove the sausage from its casing and crumble. Set aside.
Heat the remaining 3 Tbsp. olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until it becomes translucent. Add the sausage and saute for about 6 minutes, or until it begins to brown. Add the garlic and cook for a few more minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Pour off and discard most of the fat in the pan. Add the wine and let it reduce for about 6 minutes, or until it is almost gone.
Add the tomatoes and their juices and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes. When the sauce begins to thicken, add the oregano and stir well. Season to taste again.
Combine the ricotta, half of the Parmigiano-Reggiano and the parsley in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper.
Cook the pasta in the pot of boiling water until al dente. Drain well, reserving about 1/4 cup of the cooking water. Toss the pasta with the ricotta mixture and coat well. Toss again with the tomato and sausage mixture. If the mixture appears dry, add a splash of the reserved cooking water.
Pour it all into the prepared baking dish, sprinkle the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano on top and dot with the mozzarella.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned.

Serves 4-6. 815 calories; 38g protein; 73g carbohydrate; 39g fat (17g saturated); 94 mg cholesterol; 1004 mg sodium; 8g fiber

[Terrytx]

I made the Baked Ziti and Spinach that Susan posted, for dinner last night. I made the whole thing cause one of the kids likes to take food back home with him when he leaves. If last night is any indication, he wont have much left to take back with him. The devoured this! Excellent-thanks Susan:D :D :D

[DmOrtega]

greysangel - Your Baked Ziti recipe is great. I would not have thought that adding the sour cream would work, but it did and even my picky dd ate some. Thanks for sharing.

[greysangel]

actually I pulled that from allrecipes.com and I tried it last night for the first time! It's wonderful!!! Probably the best baked ziti I have ever had.

1)I used ff sour cream, part skim mozzarella, regular provolone
2)I used lindrusso's magnificent marinara (it is mag!)
3)I added 10oz frozen chopped spinach to the sauce addition step

With these subs, it worked to 10pts each for four servings...however it really is 6 servings. With 6 servings, you still get a 2cup serving which is plenty and brings the total points to 7 per serving :D

JeAnne

[SuzyQue]

Last night, I made the ziti recipe posted by TamiKnight. DH and I really enjoyed it. I made it pretty much as written, except I added a couple more cloves of garlic and sprinkled some part-skim mozzarella cheese on top. Thanks for posting TamiKnight!:)

[Chirik]

I recall finding this on Dotti's (http://www.dwlz.com/). Originally, this made TWO 9x13s worth, for '12 servings' - I scaled this to 1 casserole. It's still listed as 6 servings, but could easilly be 9, maybe 12, depending on how much people like.

I've only made this once, but it came out very well.

Baked Ziti

Sauce:
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion chopped
1 1/2 garlic cloves, minced
14 ounces reduced-sodium meatless spaghetti sauce
14 ounces diced tomatoes, undrained
6 ounces tomato paste
3/8 cup water
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Cheese Mixture:
7 1/2 ounces reduced-fat ricotta cheese
4 ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Topping:
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Remaining Ingredients:
1/2 pound uncooked medium tube pasta

To make the sauce, in a large saucepan, cook meat, onions, and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce, tomatoes, tomato paste, water, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, basil and oregano. Cover and simmer for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

To make the cheese mixture, in a bowl, combine ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, egg, salt and pepper.

In a 13x9x2 inch baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray, spread 1 cup meat sauce. Layer half of the pasta, 1 cup meat sauce and half of the cheese mixture. Top with remaining pasta and sauce. Sprinkle with cheese and oregano topping. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until heated through.

Yield: 1 casserole (6 servings)

Nutritional Analysis: One serving (about 1 1/3 cups) equals 324 calories, 11 g fat (6 g saturated fat) 38 mg cholesterol, 796 mg sodium, 30 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 26 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 1/2 lean meat, 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 fat.

[Molli526]

I made a variation of the one posted by Beckms/ Susan & JeAnne.

I used all ground sirloin and added an onion. Yum! DH wants it again this week! Definitely on the rotation. :D

[Susan]

Originally posted by Terrytx
I made the Baked Ziti and Spinach that Susan posted, for dinner last night. I made the whole thing cause one of the kids likes to take food back home with him when he leaves. If last night is any indication, he wont have much left to take back with him. The devoured this! Excellent-thanks Susan:D :D :D

You're most welcome! Glad it was so well-received! :)

~Susan~

[Canice]

OK, so I've printed out every recipe on this thread! What did you expect from the one who confessed to owning a cookbook of nothing but 52 mac 'n' cheese recipes? :rolleyes:
Anyhow, the February Cook's Illustrated has a piece entitled "Four-Cheese Pasta -- smooth, creamy casserole" and I thought I'd post it here. Probably not a good time of year to post such a fatty recipe, but here it is "for the archives"!

Bread crumb topping
3-4 slices white sandwich bread with crusts, torn into quarters
1/4 cup (1/2 oz.) grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

Pasta and cheese
4 oz. Italian Fontina cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
3 oz. Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled (about 3/4 cup)
1/2 cup (1 oz.) grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cup (1/2 oz.) grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound penne
1 Tbsp. plus 1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. unsalted butter
2 tsp. all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1. For the topping: Pulse bread in food processor until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about ten 1-second pulses (you should have about 1-1/2 cups). Transfer to small bowl; stir in Parmesan, salt, and pepper. Set mixture aside.

2. For the pasta: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 500F.

3. Bring 4 quarts water to rolling boil in stockpot. Combine cheeses in large bowl; set aside. Add pasta and 1 Tbsp. salt to boiling water; stir to separate pasta. While pasta is cooking, melt butter in small saucepan over medium-low heat; whisk flour into butter until no lumps remain, about 30 seconds. Gradually whisk in cream, increase heat to medium, and bring to boil, stirring occasionally; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 1 minute to ensure that flour cooks. Stir in remaining 1/4 tsp. salt and pepper; cover cream mixture to keep hot and set aside. When pasta is very al dente (when bitten into, pasta should be opaque and slightly underdone at very center), drain about 5 seconds, leaving pasta slightly wet. Add pasta to bowl with cheeses; immediately pour cream mixture over, then cover bowl with foil or large plate and let stand 3 minutes. Uncover bowl and stir with rubber spatula, scraping bottom of bowl, until cheeses are melted and mixture is thoroughly combined.

4. Transfer pasta to 13x9-inch baking dish, then sprinkle evenly with reserved bread crumbs, pressing down lightly. Bake until topping is golden brown, about 7 minutes. Serve immediately.

[sueandwill]

Originally posted by sueandwill
All these recipes sound great!
I would like to make one for a friend who is expecting twins in February.
Can these be frozen ?
Sue


Hello All,

I thought I would try and resurrect my post by quoting myself!
Can anyone answer this ? Anyone ??

[aggie94]

Sorry, I don't have an answer to the freezing question, but I'm bumping this up to give my glowing review of the baked ziti recipe posted by beckms and slknight. I made it last night, cutting the recipe in half and using part-skim mozzarella, turkey sausage, and 95% lean ground beef. Both DH & I loved it! It was delicious. The only thing I'd do differently next time is cut back on the cheese by 1/3, or even as much as 1/2.

[Susan]

Originally posted by sueandwill



Hello All,

I thought I would try and resurrect my post by quoting myself!
Can anyone answer this ? Anyone ??

Sorry to have missed your question before. I have frozen a whole dish of ziti only once, and it was already baked. I thawed it in the frig during the day and just reheated it in the oven at 350 for 20-30 minutes (it's been awhile but I THINK that's what I did!). I recall it being a bit drier and some of the ziti pasta was too hard/crunchy (the pieces that were sticking out on top). I think the following would probably be better than what I did:
assemble the ziti recipe first unbaked, cover, freeze, thaw in frig during the day, bake according to recipe directions.

Maybe someone else with more freezing experience will chime in too!

Good luck~
Susan

[slknight]

Eva, glad you liked it. I haven't had it in a while and now I'm craving it, but don't have any sour cream in the house. I think we will have it this weekend, and maybe take a pan to MIL who is having surgery.

Sueandwill, I've never tried to freeze it, but would think that it would freeze ok. Lasagna always seems to freeze just fine to me, and this is pretty similar. If I do make up a big batch this weekend, maybe I'll freeze a pan and see how it turns out.

[islandgirl]

Here's one I tore out of a Williams-Sonoma catalog last year. My family loves it!

Pasta Rustica with Chicken Sausage and Three Cheeses

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 lb. chicken or turkey sausage, casings
removed
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. hot red pepper flakes
1 can (28 oz.) tomatoes in puree, tomatoes
coarsely chopped and puree reserved
Salt, to taste
1 lb. penne pasta
1 1/4 cups ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded fontina or mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese



In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up into bite-size pieces, until no longer pink, about 6 minutes. Stir in the basil, oregano and red pepper flakes. Add the tomatoes and puree and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 10 to 12 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt, as needed.

Preheat an oven to 350ºF. Lightly oil a baking dish.

Bring a large pot three-fourths full of water to a boil over high heat. Salt the water, add the pasta, stir well and cook until barely al dente (tender but firm to the bite), 10 to 12 minutes. Drain well.

In a large bowl, toss the pasta with the sauce, the ricotta and fontina. Spread in the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Bake until the cheeses are melted and the tips of the pasta are crusty, about 30 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Serve hot. Serves 6 to 8.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Collection Series,Chicken,by Rick Rodgers (Simon & Schuster, 2001).

[Molli526]

SueandWill,

I froze individual portions of the Baked Ziti from beckms and slknight after baking it. DH has eaten it and says it tastes fine. He just dumps it from the container, frozen, into a bowl/ plate and microwaves it.

[sararosalie]

So could I make ziti with chicken breasts instead of ground beef/sausage?

I've got chicken, mozzarella, sour cream & cottage cheese at home.

Thanks!

[aggie94]

I definitely think you could make a baked ziti with cubed cooked chicken instead of beef/sausage. I even think it would be fine with just mozzarella (instead of the mozz/provolone blend), but I personally wouldn't add cottage cheese to the recipe I made. It might be because I don't like cottage cheese, but I think that would just be nasty. :eek: Then again, a lot of people like lasagna with cottage cheese, and this recipe is very lasagna-like, so if you're one of those folks, go for it!

[Molli526]

Sure! I would either shred the chicken or cut it into little chunks though, so it spread evenly.

[sararosalie]

Originally posted by aggie94
I definitely think you could make a baked ziti with cubed cooked chicken instead of beef/sausage. I even think it would be fine with just mozzarella (instead of the mozz/provolone blend), but I personally wouldn't add cottage cheese to the recipe I made. It might be because I don't like cottage cheese, but I think that would just be nasty. :eek: Then again, a lot of people like lasagna with cottage cheese, and this recipe is very lasagna-like, so if you're one of those folks, go for it!

Thanks! I basically mentioned everything that is in my fridge that I'm trying to get rid of (I even posted a thread hoping to find somthing that uses them all). I hate cottage cheese as well, but used it for some homemade mac & cheese, and would like to use it instead of tossing it (like I usually do :rolleyes: ).

I'll probably shred the chicken. Heading to central market now to get the rest of what I need.

Thanks

[ShanaG]

I made the Baked Ziti recipe posted by JeAnne last weekend. I made half of the batch with Italian sausage for SO and half with misc. veggies (mushrooms, olives, red peppers) for me. We really liked this, and I was surprisingly pleased with the texture of the FF sour cream after the dish had been baked (was a bit worried about this). In fact, SO requested that I put it on the menu for his 30th birthday bash!

[sueandwill]

Thank you Susan , slknight and Molli for your suggestions.
I am going to try it unbaked when I give it to my friends.

Sue

[dcornelius]

I made last years CL version and didn't have enough peppers but did have some zuccini so I used that as well thinly sliced and oh yummy! I also used my "lindrusso's magnificant marinara" instead of the specified tomato products and I am telling you it was good!!! I have always made ziti with mozzarella befroe now so was hesitant to do it this way but it was great!!!

[RunnerKim]

Just wanted to pipe up and say I made a variation of the one Beckms and slknight posted. Added onion as others did and some mushrooms. I used a homemade sauce - not sure exactly what - for the life of me can't recall what it's leftover from, but it still smelled/looked fine :eek: :o :D Didn't have any provolone on hand so just upped the mozzerella. Only had some sausage my sister had made and given us (so a bit zestier than normal stuff). Loved the sour cream in it. Nice easy weeknight meal. DH made most of it, just wish I could somehow get him to make more than one thing for dinner (i.e., steam some broccoli or make a simple salad).

Kim

[valchemist]

This past weekend, I made the baked spinach and ziti posted by susan and it was great!! I made the half recipe but still used a full 16 oz container of cottage cheese. DH loved it too. Thanks for the recipe, Susan.

[Susan]

Val~ So glad your family liked the recipe! I intended to make it this week but forgot the spinach at the store! I am without a vehicle this week too so I am debating over just omitting the spinach or waiting. We are expecting snow tonight so I really want to make some comfort food. Decisions, decisions...

~Susan~

[Sheila in MD]

Originally posted by ShanaG
I made the Baked Ziti recipe posted by JeAnne last weekend.

Was this one posted on a different thread? I couldn't find one posted by JeAnne on this one or is it one of the two on the first page that both have sour cream in them? So many great looking ziti recipes-hard to keep them straight! Thanks for the help!

Sheila in MD

[sararosalie]

Originally posted by Sheila in MD


Was this one posted on a different thread? I couldn't find one posted by JeAnne on this one or is it one of the two on the first page that both have sour cream in them? So many great looking ziti recipes-hard to keep them straight! Thanks for the help!

Sheila in MD

JeAnne is Greysangel. Her recipe is the first one on this post. I made it earlier this week and it is very yummy. Enjoy.

[KristinK]

Originally posted by Susan
Here's my favorite!
BAKED ZITI AND SPINACH
Thanks for this recipe, Susan! This was dinner last night. My changes: I used whole wheat penne, ground turkey breast, fresh spinach, a 15-ounce can of tomato sauce instead of spaghetti sauce, and fat-free mozzarella and cottage cheeses.

It turned out great, even with the fat-free cheeses, which surprised me a bit. Very creamy and delicious. It actually earned several "wows" from DBF, as we rarely have cheesy dishes anymore (even our lasagna is made with tofu instead) - so it will definitely make it into our rotation. Though next time I would cover it with foil for the first 30 minutes because the noodles on top turned crunchy.

Thanks again :)

[Susan]

Originally posted by KristinK

Thanks for this recipe, Susan! This was dinner last night. My changes: I used whole wheat penne, ground turkey breast, fresh spinach, a 15-ounce can of tomato sauce instead of spaghetti sauce, and fat-free mozzarella and cottage cheeses.

It turned out great, even with the fat-free cheeses, which surprised me a bit. Very creamy and delicious. It actually earned several "wows" from DBF, as we rarely have cheesy dishes anymore (even our lasagna is made with tofu instead) - so it will definitely make it into our rotation. Though next time I would cover it with foil for the first 30 minutes because the noodles on top turned crunchy.

Thanks again :)

Hey cool! You're welcome! Glad you liked it! I have never used ww penne or turkey in this before so I appreciate your review. I have some frozen ground turkey in our freezer right now and was trying to decide what to use it in. I may have to put this on the menu for next week. Thanks for reviving this thread! :)

[Gracie]

Originally posted by greysangel
I don't have a tried and true, however I found this at allrecipes.com and it's got like 400 glowing reviews. Looks good to me!

Baked Ziti
Allrecipes.com
Serves 4

Ingredients
1/2 pound dry ziti pasta
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1 (26 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
3 ounces Provolone cheese, sliced
3/4 cup sour cream
3 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
1 Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.
2 In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.
3 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
4 Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.

I made this last night and I wish I'd read the rest of the thread for the post from WeekendCook before I made it.

Originally posted by WeekendCook
I've made the recipe posted by greysangel several times -- it's just about fool-proof. Just a comment about the ingredients -- the amounts as listed are what I make in a 9" x 9" pan. If you double the ingredient amounts listed in her post, it will be a perfect amount for a 9" x 13" pan. I make it with low fat sour cream (can't tell the difference between that and the full fat stuff) and use hot turkey sausage instead of ground beef. We like the flavor that the turkey sausage adds.

It was very good and very cheesy!!! Way more cheesy than I usually make - it felt like such an indulgence!! But I found myself sprinkling half the cooked ziti over the bottom of my 9x9 pan (I started out with the 9x13 the recipe calls for). I ended up steaming some chopped zucchini to add in with the ziti layer just so the cheese and sour cream from the next layer didn't end up burning on the bottom of the pan in between the ziti.

BTW I am back to religiously counting WW points and in using FF sour cream, 93% lean ground beef and only "charging" myself 1 point for all the (homemade) pasta sauce, it came out to 52 points for the recipe. I divided that by 6 and got 8.5 or so and decided that to be fair about the sauce, I'd call it an even 10 points for 1/6 of the recipe. That seemed a little skimpy, portion-wise, but I am finding out that my idea of a portion has skyrocketed lately and it's time I came back to earth. :rolleyes: :D

Anyhoo, the bottom line is that this was a great recipe but a bit costly in points.

Loren

[newsomz]

Another reivew of the baked ziti posted by slknight. It was delicious! I really enjoyed the flavor of the italian sausage and don't think it would be as good without the sausage. I didn't notice the sour cream and I'm not sure I'll add it next time. Also, I ended up making half a batch and it will be plenty for DBF and I for at least 2 meals each.

carrie