Baked Ziti with Fresh Tomatoes Recipe

Baked Ziti with Fresh Tomatoes Recipe photo by Taste of Home

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I prepare the sauce ahead of time, so it saves precious moments when we come in after working out in the fields!—Barbara Johnson, Decker, Indiana

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Baked Ziti with Fresh Tomatoes Recipe

Prep: 70 min. Bake: 30 min.

Yield: 6 Servings

70 30 100

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
3 pounds plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (about 15 tomatoes)
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces uncooked ziti
2 cups( 8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

In a Dutch oven, cook the beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomatoes, salt, basil and pepper. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Cook ziti according to package directions; drain. Place in a large bowl. Stir in sauce and 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Transfer to a greased 3-qt. baking dish; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and remaining mozzarella cheese.
Cover and bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Uncover; bake 15 minutes longer or until heated through. Yield: 6 servings.

Nutritional Facts 1 serving equals 375 calories, 14 g fat (7 g saturated fat), 60 mg cholesterol, 851 mg sodium, 33 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 29 g protein.

Originally published as Baked Ziti with Fresh Tomatoes in Country Ground Beef , p50

Seeding Tomatoes

Summer is the perfect time of year to enjoy fresh juicy tomatoes in all types of recipes. It's usually not necessary to remove the seeds from tomatoes before using. But for some recipes, seeding the tomatoes can improve the dish's appearance or eliminate excess moisture. For example, it's not important to seed tomatoes when preparing a tossed salad. But it's nice to remove the seeds when making creamy tomato soup to ensure a smooth texture. And using seeded tomatoes when assembling a casserole can prevent it from becoming watery. To remove the seeds from a tomato, cut it in half horizontally and remove the stem. Holding a tomato half over a bowl or sink, scrape out seeds with a small spoon or squeeze the tomato to force out the seeds. Then slice or dice as directed in the recipe.