Baked Ziti

A couple of weeks ago I unexpectedly had a bunch of kids for dinner one night. They played hard and all of a sudden they were HUNGRY! My son is the kind who cannot wait . When he gets too hungry he reaches a point of no return. He needs to eat NOW!

I had to make something quick, something to feed a crowd and something that kids would love!

Baked Ziti came to mind....Rich and creamy ricotta cheese combined with mozzarella and spaghetti sauce to make a rich and filling sauce for cooked ziti. Top with Parmesan cheese and bake for a delicious, classic Italian casserole.

 

 Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) package ziti pasta 24 ounces ricotta cheese 1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese

1 (32 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce   1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

	Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and rinse.
	In a medium bowl, mix ziti, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese and 1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce.
	Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
	Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish and spoon in ziti mixture. Top with remaining spaghetti sauce, followed by Parmesan cheese.
	Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes; let stand for 15 minutes before serving. I also like to broil it for 2 minutes. Serve it with some roasted broccoli (my kids favorite) and crusty bread with a dab of butter! Hmmmm!