Baked ziti (or any kind of baked pasta) is one of those easy dinner recipes that has been around for decades. And for good reason. It’s easy, tasty and almost everyone loves it.

Now there are dozens of ways to make baked ziti or baked pasta from simple to complex. You can make it in small batches for an easy weeknight dinner or in bulk for parties and potlucks.

You can use sausage or ground beef or turkey or make it vegetarian and use whatever variety and combination of cheese you prefer. In some recipes everything is stirred and in others the pasta and sauce are layered like in lasagna. I’m not kidding when I say that the options are endless. I’m sure everyone has their favorite, but this plain and simple version is based on what was available in my kitchen today. Feel free to modify it to suit your likes and dislikes and what you have available in your kitchen.

Baked Ziti Recipe

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Time to cook: 30 minutes

Produce: 4-6 servings

This is an easy and versatile recipe. Feel free to substitute the sausage for the ground beef or turkey (or leave it out for a vegetarian option). You can also add additional greens. I like to saute chopped mushrooms and zucchini along with the onions. Spinach would be fine, as would bell peppers and olives.

Ingredients

8 ounces ziti or other cut pasta, uncooked

1/2 pound extra lean ground beef or ground turkey

2 medium onions, chopped

3 cups spaghetti sauce

2 cups cottage cheese (pureed in a blender for a creamier result if desired)

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon of chopped parsley

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Preparation

1 Preheat oven to 350 ° F. Spray baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Cook the ziti according to the instructions on the package. Drain and reserve.

two Meanwhile, shred meat in large skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray. Add onions. Sauté until the meat is fully cooked. Add the spaghetti sauce.

3 In a large bowl, combine the cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg, parsley, and garlic powder. Mix well. Add the cooked ziti and mix well.

4 Spread about 1/3 of the meat, onion, and spaghetti sauce mixture to bottom of prepared skillet. Pour the ziti and cheese mixture into the skillet. For the rest of the sauce mixture on top. Sprinkle with a little more grated Parmesan if desired. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 30 minutes.