Baked Ziti, the Ultimate Comfort Food

In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been into comfort food lately.  There is something about living out here in the country that’s put me in a really good place. I’ve been craving a simple but meaty pasta dish lately, and this Baked Ziti hit the spot.

Ingredients:

1 Pound Penne or Ziti Pasta
1 Yellow Onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Pound Lean Ground Beef
1/2 Teasp Spanish Sweet Smoked Paprika
24-oz jar of Pasta Sauce
1.5 – 2 Cups Ricotta
8oz Shredded Mozzarella
1 Cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Olive Oil

Method:

Preheat the oven to 450F

Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Add some salt to it. Boil the pasta until just al dente.  Drain.

In a Dutch Oven over medium heat, add the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic.  Cook for 2-3 minutes until softened.

Add the ground beef and paprika. Break up the ground beef. Cook for 3-5 minutes until the beef is browned.

Add the pasta sauce.  Partially cover, and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Add the pasta to the sauce. Stir to thoroughly coat the pasta. Add the ricotta by large spoonfulls. Gently stir it in.

Pour half the pasta/sauce mixture into a 9×13 baking dish. Sprinkle half the mozzarella and half the Parmigiano on it.  Pour the remaining pasta/ziti mixture into the baking disk. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and half the Parmigiano on top.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese has browned.  Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes.