Baked ziti
06.15.2012 
This week has not brought about much pleasant-ness, aside from the trip to the zoo I got to take with all of my boys. That was fun! Oh, and then there was the exciting realization that my oldest boy has finally finally finally decided to use the toilet consisently. You really have no idea how long this has been in the works. YEARS. We are so proud of him!
At the end of each day this week, I had this delicious Baked Ziti comforting my belly and soul. I have loved the act of eating this week because I am not expected to talk while I eat. I lost my voice due to sickness, and it is hard to manage a home with two little boys and without a voice! "Mommy, why are you whispering?" "Mommy, will you talk normal?" "Mommy?" "Mommy?!" "MOMMY!" I was able to brush up on my sign language a bit, which was another positive note from the week. Look at me, finding all of the positive parts!
I have been making this Baked Ziti recipe for years. It's a staple. It's delicious. It's easy. You will love it, I promise.
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add a 16-oz. box of ziti pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Chop 1 onion and finely mince 3 cloves of garlic.
In a large skillet, add:
1 onion, chopped
1 lb. lean ground beef
3 cloves garlic, minced
(you will see double the amount in the below photo because I made a double batch)
Cook, stirring, over medium heat until the ground beef is no longer pink. Season with salt and pepper.
Add two 28-oz. jars of spaghetti sauce to the skillet and let simmer for 15 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Layer as follows:
Half of the cooked ziti
6 slices of provolone cheese
12 oz. sour cream
Half of the sauce mixture
Remaining ziti
6 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
Remaining sauce
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
You will LOVE. I promise!
Reader Comments (7)
i've never seen baked ziti with provolone and sour cream.... usually it's ricotta and mozzarella and parmesan and other cheeses on top. love baked pasta -- ragu pasta bake is a favorite (so easy and quick)!
I am making this for my family tonight...SOUNDS SO TASTY! cant wait to eat dinner... thank you :)
I really hope you're feeling better! What a nightmare week :( Except for the zoo of course! I hope there were bears. I like bears. Bears and ziti. Especially ziti with SOUR FREAKING CREAM! Sign me up, mom!
I would love to see a pot about how you store your pantry goods. Like sugar, brown sugar, flour ect... Do you use special containers or keep them in the store bought bags? I am thinking of reorganizing my cabinets and would love some suggestions.
This was AMAZING!!! I used whole wheat penne and subbed Greek yogurt for the sour cream. It was seriously delicious, ita definitely something I'll make again!! Thanks for the recipe!
This pasta is seriously delicious, great recipe!
Further to the request for storage helpful hints, how do I keep my brown sugar from solidifying and hardening. Is there a special container one can use? Isn't there something you can put in with the sugar to keep it soft?