Best Cooking Lights Baked Ziti Casserole Recipes

COOKING LIGHT BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Cook pasta according to package directions, but stop short by 2 minutes. Drain the pasta, and run under cold water to stop cooking, set aside.
• Crumble and cook sausage, onion, and garlic in skillet until browned, stirring frequently. Add the salt, pepper, and spaghetti sauce, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and let cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Combine cooked pasta, sauce and seasoning. Place half of the mixture in a casserole coated with cooking spray. Top with half of mozzarella and half of Parmesan. Repeat layers. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until bubbly.
• Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups).

BAKED ZITI CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook ziti in boiling water until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 13 minutes; drain. Rinse ziti with cold water until cool; drain.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Mix ziti, ricotta cheese, 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, egg, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
• Spread 1/2 cup tomato sauce into the bottom of a 2 1/2-quart shallow baking dish. Pour ziti mixture into the dish. Top with remaining 1 1/2 cup tomato sauce and Parmesan cheese.
• Bake in preheated oven until sauce and cheese layer is bubbly and lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

BAKED ZITI CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta; set aside. In a small bowl, combine the egg, ricotta and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. , Spread 1 cup spaghetti sauce in a 13x9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with a third of the pasta, half of the ricotta mixture, 2/3 cup mozzarella cheese, 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese and 1 cup sauce. Repeat layers of pasta, ricotta mixture and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Top with remaining pasta, sauce mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. , Cover and bake at 375° for 45-50 minutes or until heated through.

BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Make the tomato sauce: Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is totally softened and translucent (without letting it brown), 8 to 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring until it has turned a deeper brick-red color, tinting the oil and onions a fiery orange color, about 2 minutes. Crush the whole tomatoes by hand and add them (including the juice) and the tomato purée to the pot, stirring to scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pot. Season with salt and pepper and add red pepper flakes, if using. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomato sauce has thickened and flavors have come together, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Prepare the filling: In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, heavy cream and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Prepare the pasta: As the sauce cooks, heat oven to 425 degrees, and place a large pot of salted water to boil on the stove.
• Cook pasta until it's nearly al dente. (You want to undercook the pasta slightly, as it will continue to cook in the oven. A good way to do this is cook it 2 minutes less than you normally would if preparing it al dente.) Reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid, drain pasta and rinse with cool water; set aside while the tomato sauce finishes cooking.
• Once tomato sauce is done, stir in reserved pasta water.
• Place pasta in a large bowl and add 2 cups sauce. Stir to coat pasta evenly encouraging the sauce to go inside each tube.
• Spoon a bit of remaining sauce on the bottom of a 3-quart baking dish and top with 1/3 of the pasta. Spoon 1/3 of the remaining sauce on top, dollop with half the ricotta mixture and scatter 1/3 of the mozzarella on top of that. Repeat, beginning with the pasta, one more time. For the final layer, add the last 1/3 of pasta and the last of the sauce. Dot remaining mozzarella on top and shave a bit more Parmesan on top of that. Place baking dish on top of a sheet pan lined with parchment paper to catch any drips. Place in the oven and bake until the edges are golden brown and bubbling and the top has browned nicely, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Let cool slightly before eating with a big green leafy salad.

BAKED ZITI (EASY PASTA CASSEROLE) VIDEO

Steps:

• Cook pasta in salted water according to package instructions until just aldente them drain (so not overcook since they will continue to cook in the oven).
• In a deep pan or dutch oven, over medium-high heat, cook ground beef and onion, breaking up the beef with a spatula, until beef is fully cooked through and onions are softened (5-7 minutes). Add minced garlic, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and sautee another minute. Add 5 cups marinara, bring to a simmer and continue cooking 5 minutes then turn off the heat.
• Spread a ladle of meat sauce over the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish.
• Into the remaining sauce, add chopped basil and spoon in ricotta. Add cooked pasta and stir just until noodles are coated (you want to keep that ricotta texture)
• Transfer half of the pasta to the casserole dish. Top with 1/2 of shredded mozzarella and 1/2 grated parmesan. Add remaining pasta and top with remaining mozzarella and parmesan.
• Clear the edges of the pan so the cheese doesn't burn onto the dish. Bake at 350˚F for 25 minutes. Broil 1-2 minutes to brown the cheese. Let cool 5 minutes then garnish with basil if desired and serve.

COOKING LIGHT'S BAKED ZITI CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and falt. Drain.
• Combine pasta, basic marinara, 1/2 cup mozzarella, 2 T. Asiago, salt, pepper sauce, and turkey in a large bowl. Spoon into an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with remaining 1/.2 cup mozzarella and remaining 2 T. Asiago. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

CAROL'S BAKED ZITI CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a boil. Stir in ziti pasta and return to a boil. Cook pasta, stirring occasionally, until cooked through but still firm to the bite, about 11 minutes; drain.
• Combine egg, ricotta cheese, and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese in a bowl. Spread 1/3 the spaghetti sauce in prepared baking dish. Top with 1/2 the pasta, 1/2 the ricotta mixture, 1/3 the spaghetti sauce, 1/2 the mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 the Parmesan cheese; repeat layers. Top with remaining spaghetti sauce and Parmesan cheese; cover baking dish with aluminum foil.
• Bake in preheated oven until heated through, 45 to 50 minutes.

BAKED ZITI CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Cook and drain ground beef.
• Saute green pepper, onion, and mushrooms and add to ground beef.
• Add onion powder and garlic powder, oregano and 3 tablespoons of the tomato paste. Stir and set aside while you cook pasta.(al dente).
• Drain cooked pasta and set aside.
• Stir together the cottage cheese, sour cream.
• Slice the black olives and add to the cottage cheese mixture.
• Mix the spaghetti sauce and remaining tomato paste with the ziti.
• Spray 9x13 pan with non stick spray.
• Place half the noodles in the pan.
• Top with meat mixture and a layer of parmesan cheese.
• Top with the cottage cheese and sour cream mixture.
• Top with a layer of the Mozarella cheese.
• Top with the other half of the noodles and a final layer of parmesan cheese (the inside layers of cheese can be thin, just enough to add a cheesy layer).
• Bake uncovered 30 minute or until hot and bubbly and cheeses are melted.

THE BEST BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Cut down the length of each sausage with a sharp knife. Remove and discard casings.
• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan set over high heat. Add sausages and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up with a spatula, until the sausage begins to brown, and the onion turns translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add oregano, thyme, and rosemary and cook for 1 minute more. Pour in marinara sauce. Pour 1 cup water into each jar to rinse out remaining sauce; add to the saucepan. Stir together and bring sauce to a simmer.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low, and let simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed. Turn off heat and reserve until needed. Before using, skim any excess fat that rises to the surface.
• While sauce simmers, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add ziti and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 or 2 minutes less than the directions on the package call for, about 8 minutes. Drain well and transfer into a large mixing bowl.
• Carefully add the meat sauce and stir until thoroughly combined. Let rest for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a large 9x15-inch or 9x13-inch casserole dish with a drizzle of olive oil.
• Use a slotted spoon to transfer half of the pasta and sauce mixture to the prepared dish, then use a spatula to even out into a uniform layer. Top with 1/2 of the ricotta cheese, 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese, and then 1/2 of the grated Pecorino Romano cheese, being sure to distribute evenly. Top with the rest of the pasta and sauce mixture and give the pan a little shake to settle the sauce. Repeat the cheese application.
• Bake in the center of the preheated oven until the cheese is melted and the casserole is piping hot, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Top with parsley.

BAKED ZITI CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F.
• Cook and drain pasta as directed on package. In 12-inch skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink; drain. Add soup, pepper and cooked pasta; stir well.
• In small bowl, mix ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese and egg.
• Spoon pasta mixture into ungreased 11x7-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish. Spoon ricotta cheese mixture on top; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Spray sheet of foil with cooking spray; cover baking dish with foil, sprayed side down.
• Bake 25 to 30 minutes, removing foil last 10 minutes of bake time, until cheese melts and mixture is hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with basil.