Classic Baked Ziti

This baked ziti recipe makes a ton of pasta! I was a little uncertain about using cottage cheese in a pasta dish, but it ends up tasting just like ricotta cheese. The sauce is delicious and it is very filling! To see the site I got it from, visit Mel's Kitchen Cafe.

Ingredients:

1 pound 1% cottage cheese

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

3 ounces grated parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 pound ziti or other similar pasta (like penne)

2 tablespoons olive oil

5 medium garlic cloves, finely minced (about 5 teaspoons)

1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried basil 

1 teaspoon sugar

Black pepper

2 tsp flour

1 cup half and half 

8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the cottage cheese, eggs and 1 cup of the paremsan cheese together in a medium bowl; set aside. Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in a large pot over high heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon salt and pasta; cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta begins to soften but is not yet cooked through, about 7 minutes (the pasta will finish cooking in the oven). Drain pasta.

While the pasta is cooking, heat oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat until the garlic is fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, sugar, basil and oregano; simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Take off heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Stir flour into half and half and transfer mixture to the empty large pot the pasta cooked in. Set the pot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes (this step took a little longer for me). Remove pot from heat and add cottage cheese mixture, 1 cup tomato sauce, and 3/4 cup mozzarella, then stir to combine. Add pasta and stir to coat thoroughly with sauce.

Transfer mixture to a 9X13-inch baking dish and spread remaining tomato sauce evenly over pasta. Sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella and remaining 1/2 cup parmesan cheese over the top. Cover the baking dish with foil that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove foil and continue to cook until the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes longer. Cool for 10 minutes. Serve.


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