Ziti

I don't particularly care for pasta dishes - I know, sacrilege - but I do know how to cook some of them really well. I picked up a ziti recipe from Stephanie O'Dea at A Year of Slow Cooking who does hers in a crockpot. I've tried it and it's amazing, but my boyfriend likes the crispiness of baked cheese so I usually go for the oven to cook it. Also, it might be just a smidgen quicker.

Ingredients:

• 1 lbs. cheese of your choice (mozzarella, Parmesan, etc.)
• 1 box of pasta (penne, rigatoni, ziti, etc.)
• 1 jar of pre-made red spaghetti sauce (unless you want to make your own from scratch)
• 1 can of tomato paste (6oz)
• 1/2 lbs. of ground beef
• medium onion, chopped 
• 1-3 cloves of chopped garlic (to taste)
• spices (salt, pepper, paprika, oregano)
• (optional) mushrooms

You will need a large pot and 9x13 baking pan. Preheat the oven to 425F

Start cooking pasta according to instructions prior to starting the sauce. Shred all of the cheese and have handy for later.

In a large pot (unless you have a giant frying pan), brown the beef while making sure it doesn't clump together. Add spices, garlic, and onion, and cook until everything is browned. Add sauce and the paste, mix until uniform and set aside, simmering. It's not necessary to cool the sauce.

Coat the pan with a non-stick spray (lining it with aluminum foil might help as well). Layer the ingredients as follows: a third of the pasta, a third of the sauce, a third of the cheese, repeat. Sprinkle the top cheese layer with a little paprika for extra spiciness. Bake for approx. 45 minutes, or until the top is a delicious golden brown. 

You can serve it as a side to chicken Parmesan or by itself.

Enjoy!