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Ultimate Baked Ziti
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4.84 from 6 votes

Ultimate Baked Ziti

Pasta is baked in a creamy marinara sauce with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese in this ultimate version of a classic Italian dish.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 399kcal
Author: Danelle

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces cottage cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese divided
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning divided
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 16 ounces ziti or other tube pasta
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2-3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 14.5 oz. can tomato sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
  • 8 ounces mozzarella cheese cut into 1/4 inch cubes

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the cottage cheese, egg, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, and heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
  • Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water until barely tender, about 5 minutes. Drain return to pot. Set aside.
  • While pasta cooks, heat the olive oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat until garlic is fragrant,  about 2 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, and additional teaspoon of Italian seasoning. Simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sugar and fresh basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Add cottage cheese mixture and 1 cup of the tomato sauce to the pasta and mix well. Stir in half of the mozzarella cheese. Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread remaining tomato sauce evenly over the top. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and Parmesan over the pasta, then cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
  • Remove the foil and continue to cook until the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, 25-30 more minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 399kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 761mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g