Baked Ziti

I've got another yummy recipe for you today! This was one of my frozen meals that I made before classes started this semester, and it was really good!

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:

1 pound cottage cheese

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese

1 pound ziti (or similar pasta, I used macaroni because that's what we had!)

2 tbsp olive oil

5 cloves garlic, finely minced (Sidenote: Jeff got me a garlic press for Christmas, and I LOVE it!)

1 (28oz) can tomato sauce

1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp sugar

Black pepper

3/4 tsp cornstarch

8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350.

2. Whisk together the cottage cheese, eggs, and 1 cup of the parmesan. Set aside.

3. Cook pasta in boiling water with a tablespoon of salt, stirring occasionally. Cook only until it is softened, but not yet cooked all the way through -- about 7 minutes. Drain. (Don't wash the pot - you'll use it later!)

4. Heat olive oil and garlic over medium heat in a large skillet until garlic is fragrant, but not browned (about 2 minutes). Stir in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, sugar, basil, and oregano. 

5. Simmer until thickened -- about 10 minutes. Take off of heat and season with salt and pepper.

6. Stir the cornstarch and heavy cream together in a large pot (the one that pasta cooked in!!). Set the pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook until thickened (3-4 minutes) and remove from the heat.

7. Add the cottage cheese mixture into the heavy cream pot. Then add 1 cup of the tomato sauce mixture, half of the mozzarella, and all the pasta. Stir to combine.

8. Put the pasta mixture into a lightly-greased 9x13 pan. Spread the rest of the tomato sauce mixture over the pasta. Sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses on top. 

9. Cover the baking dish with foil that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 30 minutes.

10. Remove foil and cook for another 30 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown. Cool for 10 minutes and serve!

Note: To freeze this, prepare up to step 8 and then cover with foil (a double layer!) and freeze. Thaw in the fridge 1-2 days, and cook for 1 hour covered, then 30 minutes uncovered.

This is the cottage cheese mixture. (step 2)

Here's the tomato sauce mixture. (step 4)

Here's the heavy cream pot! (step 6)

Adding a cup of the tomato sauce mixture to the heavy cream pot... (step 7)

Here's the pasta mixture (step 7)

(step 8) After this you would add the rest of the tomato sauce mixture, and then the cheese.

All done! (step 10)

Yummy!