Baked Ziti Zips Up Dinner

Italian dishes are family favorites, but sausage is frowned upon by Mr. Hot Cookin’…so oftentimes I strive to make a dish zippier using unconventional methods.

A recipe for Baked Ziti Casserole I discovered on Cooks.com inspired me to put my own twist on it to suit dietary needs. Since everyone loved it (including the sometimes picky 3-year-old), I declare this ziti a winner.

Another thing I loved about the Baked Ziti Casserole is that it takes a little less than half an hour to prepare, and then it’s baking away for 20-25 minutes. If you use that baking time wisely, all your prep dishes and pans will be clean by the time your Baked Ziti is done.

Baked Ziti Casserole

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20-25 minutes
Total time: 40-45 minutes

Ingredients

• 16 ounces ziti pasta
• 1 pound ground chicken (not ground chicken breast; too dry for this dish)
• 2 Tablespoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 carrots, cut into 1/2″ slices
• 2 celery stalks, cut into 1/2″ slices
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups 2% milk
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
• 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
• 16 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese (use 1/2 at a time)
• 8 ounces part skim ricotta cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/3 cup fresh parmesan (to top)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

1. Prepare al dente ziti. Drain pasta water. Return pasta to pot (leave pot off the burner for now).
2. In the meantime, cook ground chicken. Season with cumin and salt. Drain fat. Put cooked chicken in bowl.
3. Saute carrots, celery and onion in skillet over medium heat for 5-7 minutes (or until veggies are nearly tender) with either chicken fat drippings or 1 T. vegetable oil. Once veggies are tender, toss in minced garlic and saute for 30 seconds along with vegetables.
4. Whisk milk and flour together until completely combined. Pour into vegetable mixture in pan; stir. Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, Herbes de Provence and pepper. Bring to a boil for about a minute (mixture will show thickness at boiling). Turn heat off the pan.
5. Pour vegetable mixture, cooked ground chicken, and 8 ounces mozzarella into pot with pasta. Stir.
6. In a separate bowl, combine ricotta cheese with Italian seasoning.
7. Spoon 1/2 of the pasta mixture into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Top with spoonfuls of ricotta cheese mixture. Put remaining pasta mixture on top of ricotta cheese. Sprinkle with remaining 8 ounces of mozzarella, and the fresh parmesan.
8. Cover baking dish with foil. Bake (covered) for 20-25 minutes until it is hot and bubbly, with melted cheese adorning it.

Photos by Kelly Estes