Lasagna-Style Baked Ziti

I bought two bottles of pasta sauce that were on sale and I had frozen spinach that's been sitting on the freezer, so this recipe from Real Simple's Meals Made Easy was perfect. I probably won't cook this regularly though given the very high sodium content. Must be from all the cheese.

Photo and recipe from Real Simple.

Serves 4
Hands-On Time: 20m
Total Time: 45m

Ingredients

• 1 pound ziti
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh oregano (optional)
• 1 26-ounce jar pasta sauce
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan
• 1 15-ounce container ricotta (I used cottage cheese, which is cheaper)
  
• 1 10-ounce box frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove liquid
• 1 cup grated mozzarella

Directions

1. Cook the ziti according to the package instructions. Heat oven to 400° F.
2. In a large pot, over medium-low heat, heat the oil. Add the onion, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook until the onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Add the beef, increase heat to medium-high, and cook until no trace of pink remains, 5 to 8 minutes. Drain any remaining liquid. Add the garlic and oregano (if using) and cook for 2 minutes. Add the pasta sauce and heat for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Add the cooked pasta and toss to coat. Add the Parmesan, ricotta, and spinach and toss again.
5. Spread the mixture into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or individual ramekins and sprinkle with the mozzarella. Bake until the mozzarella melts, about 15 minutes.
   

Quick Tips:

If you prefer, substitute Italian sausage for the ground beef and chopped broccoli for the spinach.

To freeze: Assemble - but do not bake - the casserole. Cover tightly with two layers of aluminum foil. Store for up to 3 months.

To reheat: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or thaw partially in the microwave. Cover and heat in a 350F over for 1 hour. Uncover and heat until the mozzarella melts, about 10 minutes more.

Don't allow your baking dish to be taken hostage by a frozen casserole. Before placing food in the dish, line it with several layers of foil. After freezing, lift the foil and food from the dish and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. When you are ready to thaw the food, remove the plastic wrap and foil and return the icy block to its dish.

Nutritional Information

• Per Serving
• Calories 1165.23Calories From Fat 36

• Calcium 672.94mg
• Carbohydrate 117.18g
• Cholesterol 176.15mg
• Fat 46.43g
• Fiber 7.12g
• Iron 9.95mg
• Protein 70.1mg
• Sat Fat 21.31g
• Sodium 1628.12mg