Baked Ziti

After a brief summer hiking hiatus, we went for our first Fall hike last weekend.  It was glorious.  A little drippy, for my liking - but glorious, none the less.  😅 It felt great to be back in the our hiking boots.🥾 Woods, trees, fall leaves, waterfalls - what's not to like?  🌳🍂🪵

​Does anyone else get absolutely ravenous after a hike?😬  Like so hungry that you eat a cookie the size of your face?  🍪😂

Maybe it's the exercise.  Or maybe it's just being outside and breathing in all that fresh air.  Either way, there's no denying the fact that I'm absolutely starving after a hike.  I crave all the carbs - cookies, pastas and crusty bread. 🍝 🥖  Comfort foods.  

One of the best things about pasta is it's make ahead-ability.  (Pretty sure that's not a word. 😂)  Having a pan of this delicious baked pasta in the freezer is the definition of the word.  It's delicious, it's simple to prepare and I can pop it in the oven and enjoy it as a super satisfying post-hike meal within 30 minutes. 

Baked Ziti
2 Tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced
1 lb. Italian sausage
1 lb. ground beef
1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes, with juice
2 cans (14.5 ounces) tomato sauce or marinara sauce
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper, to taste
16 oz. ziti, cooked until not quite al dente
15 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
1 1/2 lb. mozzarella cheese, grated
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
1 egg

Saute onions and garlic in oil.  

Add sausage and ground beef and cook until no longer pink.  

Add tomatoes, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes.  Simmer 23-30 minutes.

Combine ricotta, 2 c. mozarella, parmesan, egg, salt and pepper. 

Cook pasta - 1-2 minutes less than al dente.  Drain.  

Add cooled pasta to cheese mixture.  

Add 4 cups cooled meat sauce and stir to combine.  

Spoon half of the pasta into a 9x13" casserole dish. 

Sprinkle half of remaining mozzarella over noodles. 

Spoon half of remaining sauce over casserole. 

Repeat layers.  

Bake 20 minutes at 375.  

Before you start sending me texts - I know that the pasta that I used is not ziti.  😅. Baked ziti just sounds so much better than baked penne.  I actually substitute all different kinds of pasta in this recipe and I call it all Baked Ziti.  😂  

Ciao!