Having the stove on high and violently boiling your noodles will not result in an evenly cooked, plump pasta. I want to prep tonight and serve in 2 days – taking on a 5 hour drive in between. I'm happy to report, however, that I have apparently become a Dump-and-Bake Dinner Pro. My husband and I both agreed it was probably the best baked ziti we’d ever had. Pour cottage cheese mixture over the pasta in an even layer. I’ve been simmering the sauce in the crockpot for several hours. Although I live thousands of miles away from her now, on Sundays I still tend to cook big meals. This Baked Ziti is a little more complex and uses more pans. Get one of our Baked ziti without mozzarella recipe and prepare delicious and healthy treat for your family or friends. I'm Christy Denney, and I eat everything. Ricotta – go out of your way to find an Italian ricotta cheese. Add the marinara sauce and heat until hot. I don’t use a top and it doesn’t necessary add any more time. I think that would be a great addition. - Mix half the mozzarella with the ricotta/cottage cheese mixture, I am going to try the recipe Sunday. I used this https://happilyunprocessed.com/simple-homemade-spaghetti-sauce/. Either way, this dish is easy and mostly everyone loves it. I just choose not to add it to my ziti. Sometimes only 10 people come over, sometimes a huge crowd. Your email address will not be published. I was just used to cooking for a ton of people being from such a large family.. Back then John could almost kill a whole 9X13 pan of food by himself…but things change. . What kind of marinara sauce should be used? Once the cheese is completely melted and the ziti is heated through,  pop it under the broiler for a few minutes to get it browned and you will have one awesome baked ziti dinner. - Use ricotta instead of cottage cheese In a large skillet, add the oil. Reply. I’m making it tonight for Sunday dinner. 25 November, 2019 at 4:54 am. This Dump-and-Bake 3-Cheese Baked Ziti is a new way to prepare an old favorite -- and there's no going back to the original once you've had a taste! Again, not a disaster, just not idea. With Meat Sauce: In a skillet over medium heat, sauté 1 pound of lean ground beef in a few teaspoons of olive oil until beef is no longer pink. I'm a mom of five, wife, and cookbook author living in sunny Florida. Now check your email to confirm your subscription. Baked ziti without the ricotta cheese. That's fancy -- homemade sauce! It came out great! Use hashtag #theseasonedmom. I hope you like it Monika! In a large skillet, brown onion and sausage (or beef ) over medium heat. The Italian sausage is a perfect addition! Set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F. ★☆ Top with remaining pasta and sauce mixture. Enter your name and email and get the weekly newsletter... it's FREE! Baked Ziti has never been on my go-to list...until now. This ziti is on my regular rotation and my middle guy even requests this for his birthday dinner! Hi, Sierra! But how does 1 lb feed 8 people? Tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, you name it! Hi, Cheryl! But, just keeping it real…I also like to use Rao’s Marinara Sauce because there is no added sugar and it tastes so fresh and delicious. Pour a Tablespoon or 2 of olive oil in the bottom of a 9×13 pan and coat. I added fresh basil but otherwise I followed the recipe to a T. This is definitely a dish I look forward to serving to company. I know I might not be in the majority, but I don’t love all that cheese that go in traditional baked ziti. It’s definitely worth a try. keep trying Kaylie – everyone’s oven temp is a little different, the size pan you use, amount of sauce, etc. There may be more pasta and sauce that cannot fit into the pans. I am a lover of all cheeses but this recipe calls for way too much. Very good but a couple of suggestions - The recipe calls for Italian sausage but using a hot sausage will give it a lot of flavor if you like a little heat. Perfect, Fred! I have made this with ground beef, ground turkey, ground pork ad even ground chicken. This had nice flavor and was super easy to prepare. Siri, I really read your comments, but if you like the flavor leave out some of the cheese. Of course it has to be the lumps….