Creamy Baked Ziti

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Creamy Baked Ziti is a comforting and delicious dish made with tender pasta, a rich tomato sauce, and a creamy cheese mixture. Topped with gooey mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, and finished with a crispy Ritz cracker crumb topping, it's a crowd-pleasing meal perfect for family dinners or gatherings. Easy to prepare and bake, this ziti is sure to become a favorite in your recipe collection.

Course Main Dish, Meatless

Cuisine Italian

Keyword pasta, pasta bake

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 15

Servings servings

Calories 493kcal

Author Laura

Equipment

Ingredients

16 oz cottage cheese
2 eggs
1 ½ cups grated Parmesan cheese
1 lb ziti or other short tubular pasta
2 Tbsp olive oil
5 garlic cloves medium sized, minced
28 oz can tomato sauce
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp sugar
¾ tsp cornstarch
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces mozzarella cheese cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk cottage cheese, eggs, and 1 cup Parmesan together in medium bowl; set aside. Prepare pasta according to package directions, cooking only until pasta begins to soften but is not yet cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain pasta and leave in colander.
Meanwhile, heat oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat until garlic is fragrant but not brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, oregano, basil, and sugar. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes.
In a medium saucepan, whisk cornstarch into heavy cream. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove pot from heat and add cottage cheese to thickened cream. Stir cottage cheese/cream mixture into tomato mixture and mix well. Add half of the cubed mozzarella and the pasta and stir until pasta is thoroughly coated with sauce.
Transfer pasta mixture to a 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cubed mozzarella and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Cover baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue to cook until cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes longer. Cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 8 to 10.

Nutrition