Baked Ziti

(Recipe from WineLoversCookingDiary | photos from me!)

Makes 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 box (16 oz) Ziti pasta (I used penne pasta)
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb pork sausage
Salt, black pepper, garlic, red pepper flakes (all to taste)
12 oz cottage cheese (I used ricotta)
1/2 cup (4 oz) mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
8 slices provolone cheese (I used swiss cheese)

[NOTES: I also added sliced mushrooms to the sauce mixture.]

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 and grease the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, season water with salt, boil pasta till al dente; drain and set aside.

Meanwhile brown sausage and ground beef in skillet and season with desired amounts of salt, black pepper, garlic and red pepper flakes. Drain excess grease away from meats and return back to skillet. Add the jar of spaghetti sauce and let simmer until you are ready to assemble the dish.

Place enough sauce mixture on the bottom of the pan so the noodles won’t stick. Then assemble the rest of the dish: half of the cooked noodles, all of the cottage cheese, 4 slices of provolone cheese, 1/2 of the remaining sauce, remaining noodles, half of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, remaining sauce, remaining provolone.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Let set 10 minutes to cool before serving. (I served with parmesan garlic bread. Click here for recipe)

ENJOY! :)

Husband rating: A+
He loved this and said I need to keep this in the “go-to dinner” recipe files. LOL.

Wifey rating: A+
I really like the beef and pork combination. Of course cheese makes everything yummy! :)