Baked Ziti

Baked Ziti has been a staple in our household practically weekly for years. It's essentially lasagna, but much easier to make. So good!

What you'll need:
1 box ziti noodles
8 oz block mozzarella cheese, shredded
15 oz ricotta cheese
2 Tbsp freshly grated parmesan

For the homemade sauce:
1/2 pound ground mild Italian sausage
1/2 pound ground beef
29 oz can of Hunt's tomato sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

How to make it:
Get the water going to boil the noodles. Preheat your oven to 350° F.

Brown the meat on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. When it's about half way done, add the spices. Add in the can of sauce when the meat is just about done. Turn the heat down to low-medium to simmer for about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure it isn't burning to the bottom of the pan; turn the heat down a bit more if it's bubbling too much. The sauce will darken as it reduces.

Boil the noodles 2 minutes under package directions to where they’re still a bit firm. The oven will continue the cooking process and you don't want to end up with a soggy noodle.

Shred the cheese and make 2 piles.

Strain pasta and pour into a large bowl. Add ricotta and one pile of mozzarella, mix together.

Ladle a scoop of sauce into a 9x13 baking dish, spread around the bottom. Pour half of the pasta and ricotta mixture in the baking dish. Ladle half the sauce over the noodles. Repeat. Gently mix to distribute. Sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella on top, and the parmesan.

Bake for 15-20 covered with foil. Remove foil and broil on low for 3 minutes to turn the cheese golden brown.

Enjoy!