Happy Friday, friends! As of today, summer is officially here!
Lately, my husband and I have been craving summer type of foods--hot dogs, burgers, potato salad, etc. And of course, ever since our honeymoon to Italy, we pretty much are up for Italian food most any night.
Recently, with these two cravings in mind, I decided to whip up the perfect combination--baked ziti. It was the perfect dish for an almost summer evening! And much to my delight, it's one of my husband's favorite dishes!
I know there are several versions of baked ziti. Here's the recipe I used!
Ingredients:
4 ounces uncooked ziti (I used half of a regular-sized box)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped yellow squash
1 cup chopped zucchini
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups chopped tomato
2 garlic cloves,minced
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup (2 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat;drain.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
5. Remove from heat; stir in pasta, 1/2 cup mozzarella, herbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper.
6. Combine ricotta, remaining salt, and egg. Stir into pasta mixture mixture.
7. Spoon into an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.
8. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until bubbly and browned.
Pair the dish with garlic bread and your favorite wine (or a summery drink--we had lemonade). Light a couple of candles, put on some of your favorite relaxing music and throw open the windows to feel the warm, summer breeze as you dine on your baked ziti. Or, even better, do as the Italians love to do--eat al fresco!
For those of you who have a favorite baked ziti recipe, what other ingredients do you use?
This is such a delicious and easy dish!
Samara
