ITALIAN BAKED ZITI

Italian Baked Ziti image

This comforting Italian dish has a from-scratch spaghetti sauce, ziti pasta and a generous combination of cheeses. You can easily double the recipe to serve a larger crowd.

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories Dinner

Time 1h20m

Yield 6 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 18

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Ingredients

1/2 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-3/4 cups spaghetti sauce
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
6 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1-1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried basil
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano, divided
8 ounces ziti or small tube pasta
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Steps:

In a large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. , Stir in the spaghetti sauce, tomatoes, tomato paste, water, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, basil and 1/2 teaspoon oregano. Cover and simmer for 3 hours, stirring occasionally. , Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, 2 tablespoons Parmesan, egg, salt and pepper., Spread 1 cup meat sauce into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Layer with half of the pasta, a third of the meat sauce and half of the cheese mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and oregano. , Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour or until heated through.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 431 calories, Fat 14g fat (7g saturated fat), Cholesterol 81mg cholesterol, Sodium 818mg sodium, Carbohydrate 50g carbohydrate (15g sugars, Fiber 6g fiber), Protein 27g protein.