Baked Ziti

I love pasta and this is one of the best pastas I have ever made. It is full of cheesy deliciousness. It's always a special night when we have this for dinner. I found this Baked Ziti recipe on Mel's Kitchen Cafe. I halved her recipe and it still makes enough to serve 4-6 people, so we get to enjoy the leftovers for a day or two!

The list of ingredients is long, but don't let it intimidate you. This recipe really isn't that tough, and it is well worth any effort!

Here is what you need:

1/2 lb Cottage Cheese
1 Egg
1 C Parmesan
1/5 lb Ziti or Penne Pasta
1 T Olive Oil
3 t Garlic, minced
1 Can Tomatoe Sauce (8 oz.)
1 Can Diced Tomatoes (14.5 oz.)
1/2 t Dried Oregano
1/2 t Dried Basil
1/2 t Sugar
1/2 C Whole Milk
1 t Cornstarch
4 oz Mozzarella, shredded

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. After draining the pasta save empty pot to use for step 3. Mix together cottage cheese, egg and 3/4 C Parmesan in a small bowl and set aside.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and heat about 2 minutes. Add in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, oregano, basil and sugar. Bring to a simmer and simmer for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

3. In the same pot you used to cook the pasta, stir milk and cornstarch together. Simmer until thickened, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and add in the cottage cheese mixture and 1/2 C of the tomato sauce. Stir in 3 ounces of the mozzarella cheese.Add the pasta and stir until it is completely coated.

4. Pour pasta and sauce into a 2 quart baking dish. Spread the rest of the tomato sauce on top and top with the remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes remove the foil and bake another 30 minutes.

Time to enjoy some delicious pasta!

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