Italian Baked Ziti
TOTAL TIME: Prep: 20 min. + simmering Bake: 1 hour
YIELD: 6 servings.
This comforting Italian dish has a from-scratch spaghetti sauce, ziti pasta and a generous combination of cheeses. You can easily double the recipe to serve a larger crowd.
Ingredients
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1/2 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
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1 medium onion, chopped
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2 garlic cloves, minced
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1-3/4 cups spaghetti sauce
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1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
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1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
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6 tablespoons water
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1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
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1-1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
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1 teaspoon dried basil
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3/4 teaspoon dried oregano, divided
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8 ounces ziti or small tube pasta
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1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
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1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
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1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
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1 large egg, lightly beaten
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1/4 teaspoon salt
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1/4 teaspoon pepper
Directions
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1.
In a large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain.
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2.
Stir in the spaghetti sauce, tomatoes, tomato paste, water, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, basil and 1/2 teaspoon oregano. Cover and simmer for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
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3.
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, 2 tablespoons Parmesan, egg, salt and pepper.
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4.
Spread 1 cup meat sauce into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Layer with half of the pasta, a third of the meat sauce and half of the cheese mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and oregano.
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5.
Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour or until heated through.
Nutrition Facts
1-1/3 cups: 431 calories, 14g fat (7g saturated fat), 81mg cholesterol, 818mg sodium, 50g carbohydrate (15g sugars, 6g fiber), 27g protein.
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