Mom's Baked Ziti

Last week I mentioned that I made Baked Ziti for my husband's birthday, and well today I'm going to share my mom's recipe with you! Okay, so technically it's not my mom's recipe, I was hoping she would tell me that it was my grandma's and that it had been passed down to her. However, she revealed to me that it came from Redbook magazine some 30 years ago! It may not have come from my grandma, but I still thought it was pretty cool that the recipe she uses is as old if not older than I am! Yes, the recipe has been in the family this long and I am only now making it for the very first time, but it won't be the last....

I need to start thinking more like a blogger and take photos during the recipe process and take photos with my camera and not my phone! 

Ingredients: 

1 lb Ziti Noodles (I used Ronzoni brand)

1 lb bag of Shredded Mozzarella, plus 8 oz bag for the top of your casserole 

1 tub of Ricotta Cheese (I used an entire 15 oz container)

2 eggs 

1 small onion

1 1/4 lbs of Ground Meat (or ground turkey)

2 Jars of Pasta Sauce ( I used two 24 oz jars of Classico brand Roasted Garlic flavor)

Butter for sauteing the onion

Directions: 

1. Pre-heat your oven to 375°. 

2. Start your pot of water for your pasta. While you wait for the water to boil, saute your onion in a sauce pan with butter. Add your ground meat and cook until it browns. 

3. Add your ziti noodles to the boiling water and cook till just before they are al dente, you don't want them to cook all the way since you will be placing them into the oven later on. 

4. In a bowl, beat the two eggs with the ricotta cheese and 1 lb bag of shredded mozzarella. (I was a little uncertain about this but mom said, "Yes, Diana this is how you make it!")

5. Once your meat browns, drain the pan and add the pasta sauce. Put it back on the stove to simmer for a few minutes. 

6. Drain your noodles, if they are done before your ground meat add a little bit of olive oil to the pot to keep them from sticking together. 

7. Add the meat and sauce as well as the cheese mixture to your pot of drained Ziti noodles. Mix well then pour into a large casserole dish, we used a 13 x 9 Hefty EZ foil pan. Top off your casserole with the 8 oz bag of shredded mozzarella. 

8. Bake for 20 mins, cover the pan with foil, then bake for 20 more mins. 

9. Serve and Enjoy!

Is baked ziti a dish you love to make? Do you have a similar recipe or do you make one that is quite different? Growing up I loved mom's baked ziti and I couldn't be happier to make "her" recipe for my own family to enjoy. My husband said it was the best baked ziti he's ever had, and he wasn't just saying that because I'm his wife! 

Thanks for stopping by, have a great day!