Our Nutrition Ninjas look forward to cooking a delicious dinner every week; this week was spectacular! We made 5 Cheese Ziti al Forno! Our team enjoyed mixing and melting all the different cheeses and relished in the scent as our dish was baking in the oven.
5 Cheese Ziti al Forno
Prep: 20 min
Bake: 30 min plus standing time
Serves: 12
Ingredients
7 1/2 cups Ziti pasta (or penne)
2 jars marinara sauce
1 jar Alfredo sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup reduced- fat ricotta cheese
1/2 cup provolone cheese, shredded
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
Topping
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Panko (Japanese) breadcrumbs
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
minced fresh parsley or basil, optional
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente; drain
2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine marinara sauce, Alfredo sauce, 1 cup mozzarella, ricotta, provolone, and Romano cheeses. Heat over medium heat until sauce begins to simmer and cheeses are melted. Stir in cooked pasta; pour mixture into a greased 13x9 inch baking dish. Top with remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese.
3. In a small bowl, stir together Parmesan, garlic, breadcrumbs and olive oil; sprinkle over pasta.
4. Bake, uncovered, until mixture is bubbly and topping is golden brown, 30-40 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with basil or parsley if desired.
Freeze option
Cool unbaked casserole; cover and freeze. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Cover casserole with foil; bake 50 minutes. Uncover; bake until heated through, then an additional 15-20 minutes.
