Hi everyone!
Below is a pretty simple and straightforward baked ziti recipe that I love to use. All in, this recipe should take about 1 hour to make, start to finish! Baked ziti is a great dish to make because it is relatively inexpensive, it is filling, and it will last you! I like it because having it already made means less cooking (and cleaning) after work! My wife and I both work and we have two small children. When we get home at the end of the day it is nice to have a meal already prepped in the fridge and ready to go! #goals
Side note: The most expensive part of this dish is the olive oil and the seasoning. If you buy all the herbs and spices at once, it is going to get pricey! When I do my shopping, I try to buy a different dried herb or spice every other time I go. That way I have a nice stock of seasoning and it isn’t too expensive all at once! If you are going to start cooking, it is good to have dried herbs and spices on hand. They are a great way to really add something special to a dish. (I also try to buy the store brand seasonings because they are a little cheaper.) The good thing is the seasonings should last you!
When buying canned tomatoes of boxed pasta – look for sales! Often stores will offer great discounts (10 boxes of pasta for 10 dollars or 5 cans of tomatoes for 5 dollars) these are great ways to save while also stocking your pantry! A box of pasta will go a long way!
Easy Baked Ziti Recipe! (with prices from ShopRite)
This recipe will yield approximately 12 servings.
What you’ll need:
1 box dried pasta (ziti, penne, rigatoni, your preference!) ($.99)
2 cans crushed tomatoes (Tutturosso on sale - $.88/ea)
6 oz tomato paste (Tutturosso on sale - $.79/ea)
32oz Ricotta cheese (Sorrento on sale - $2.99)
1 cup parmesan cheese (ShopRite - 8 oz - $3.79)
8 oz shredded mozzarella (1 bag) (ShopRite - $2.49)
1 egg (1 dozen ShopRite eggs - $2.99)
Salt and Pepper (Morton Sea Salt 26 oz on sale - $1.99, ShopRite ground pepper - $2.19)
6 cloves garlic ($1.00)
Olive Oil (a generous amount) (Botticelli - 25 oz – on sale - $5.99)
2 tsp Dried Oregano (ShopRite - $3.49)
2 tsp Dried Basil (or about a ½ cup of fresh basil, chopped) (McCormick - $3.99)
1 tsp Red pepper flakes (ShopRite - $2.49)
1 tsp Garlic powder (Badia - $2.99)
1 tsp Dried parsley (Badia - $2.99)
1 cup sugar (Domino – 4 lbs - $1.99)
Assuming you had none of these ingredients this shopping list (at ShopRite) would cost approximately $45.00. For 12 servings it breaks down to $3.75 per serving!
Also, let’s consider what you will have left in your fridge/pantry: 11 eggs, salt, pepper, olive oil, dried oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, parsley, and sugar. That’s a great start to a pantry!
The next time you want to make this recipe, it would cost you approximately $13.00 (for the ingredients you didn’t have: pasta, tomatoes, cheese) or roughly $1.08 per serving!
Let’s get cookin'!
For the Tomato Sauce:
Before making the sauce, it is a good idea to cook the pasta! #multitasking Bring the water (with some salt and olive oil) to a boil. Once boiling, add the pasta! When cooked to your liking, drain and set aside. (You can also save 1 cup of the water to add to the sauce.) Side note: be careful not to overcook the pasta – it will cook more in the oven!
This is also a good time to preheat the over to 375 degrees!
Heat olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of the pot) over medium heat. Add the 6 cloves of garlic to the oil. (I like garlic, you can add more or less if you prefer) Add 1 tsp of red pepper flakes, 1 tsp dried oregano, and salt and pepper. Stir 2-3 minutes until garlic starts to soften. (Use a wooden spoon to crush garlic further.) Add the tomato paste and a ½ cup of sugar. Stir until a uniform mixture. Add the 2 cans of crushed tomatoes, stir again. Add 2 tsp of dried oregano, 2 tsp of dried basil (or chopped fresh basil), ½ cup of sugar, and salt and pepper – bring to a simmer, cover and turn down heat. Stir occasionally for approximately 20-30 minutes.
For the Ricotta:
While the sauce is simmering, you can make the cheese mixture.
In a large bowl, add the ricotta cheese, 1 egg, 1 cup of parmesan cheese, 1 tsp of garlic powder, 1 tsp parsley, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly, set aside.
Bringing it all together!
In a large casserole dish, add a few splashes of olive oil to coat the bottom. Add ½ the drained pasta and ½ the ricotta mixture. Mix together and add a few ladles of tomato sauce (try to spread out evenly!). Sprinkle ½ the bag of shredded mozzarella on top. Add the remaining pasta and ricotta, mix thoroughly and sprinkle the top with the remaining shredded mozzarella.
Bake in the over until the cheese on top is melted and browned a little (about 20-25 minutes). Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving and enjoy!
