Wednesday, May 21, 2008


I made the baked ziti last night, and I have to say it tasted wonderful! The only problem is that my dish was to small for it all, (but that was probably because I was out of ziti and used penne instead.)and so it made the pieces looked really small. Thinking about it now too, it was a little dry, but when we had it for leftovers we warmed up a little pasta sauce to go with it, and it was perfect! It was enough to fill you up easily, but since I need to see a full plate in front of me, it was a little sad. It tasted REALLY good though!
Also keep in mind this recipe serves 8.... and it's 5 points a serving.

  • 12 oz uncooked ziti
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 2 medium garlic clove(s), minced
  • 1/3 pound raw lean ground beef
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
  • 1/2 tsp table salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
Preheat oven to 350°F.

  • Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.

  • Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat; add garlic and sauté 2 minutes. Add beef and cook until browned, breaking up meat with a spoon as it cooks, about 3 to 5 minutes; drain off any fat and set pan back over medium heat.

  • Add oregano, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper; stir to coat beef. Cook until herbs become fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

  • Spoon a small amount of beef-tomato mixture into bottom of a 4-quart casserole dish (just enough to cover surface); top with half of cooked ziti. Next, layer with half of remaining beef-tomato sauce and half of mozzarella cheese. Layer with remaining ziti and then top with remaining beef-tomato sauce; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake until cheese is golden and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Slice into 8 pieces and serve. Yields 1 piece per serving.

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