I love, love, love baked ziti–it’s one of the most delicious, flavorful hearty Italian meals ever (not to mention super easy to make!) This recipe is loaded with cheese, meat, ricota and so much more! What more could you ask for?? Let’s get started!
Here’s what you’ll need:
1 lb. ziti noodles 1 lb. ground turkey + second choice of meat (I used sweet Italian sausage) ½ cup onions, diced 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning 14.5 oz can basil, garlic & oregano diced tomatoes 12.5 oz homestyle Marinara sauce 12.5 oz Three Cheese Spaghetti sauce 1 egg 1 cup ricotta cheese 2 cups Italian cheese shredded blend 3 oz smoked gouda cheese, sliced thin Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 F. Prepare the ziti according to package In a large deep skillet, brown the meat over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and Italian seasoning and cook until onions are slightly tender. Drain the fat and return to heat Stir in the diced tomatoes, marinara sauce and spaghetti sauce. Reserve a cup of meat sauce for later use. Bring sauce mixture to a light boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. In
large bowl stir together beaten egg, ricotta cheese & 1½ cups of Italian blend cheese.Toss in the noodles and stir gently until noodles are coated. Add in the reserved cup of cooled meat sauce. In a 9×13 casserole dish spread out a thin layer of meat sauce. Top with half of the noodle mixture. Next layer on half of the meat mixture. Sprinkle with the shredded cheese and then lay on the slices of smoked gouda. Top with the remaining noodle mixture and remaining meat sauce . Top with remaining Italian cheese blend. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is nicely browned on top. Garnish with lots of Italian seasoning.
Enjoy!!
Original recipe here
