Baked Ziti

The first time I had this was at Sbarro’s Italian restaurant in our local mall many years ago. The restaurant has closed but I have learned how to create my favorite dish at home. Sometimes I add ground beef or Italian sausage to the sauce and I love to add extra sauce on top of the pasta. I know your family will love this dish as much as mine does. Just like I heard Ariel saying last night as she was serving herself a portion “I love this stuff”! I know yours will be saying the same.

Baked Ziti
1 (16oz.) box ziti pasta
1 (16oz.) carton ricotta cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon dried parsley
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese; divided
1 jar pasta sauce

Preheat oven to 375⁰F. Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Cook pasta according to direction on the box; drain and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl combine ricotta cheese, egg, parsley, parmesan cheese and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and half of the jar of pasta sauce; add drained pasta. Mix until well combined. Spoon pasta mixture into prepared baking dish. Top with remaining pasta sauce and the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with additional pasta sauce if desired.