Baked Ziti With Spinach And Meat Food

BAKED ZITI WITH SPINACH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with oil spray.
• In a large pot of salted water, cook pasta according to instructions until al dente (I like to under-cook it 3 or 4 minutes as it will cook more in the oven). Drain and return to pot.
• Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, add olive oil and sauté garlic. Add chopped spinach, salt, pepper and crushed tomatoes. Season with basil, oregano, salt and pepper and cook 5 minutes.
• Add sauce to the pasta and combine. Add half of the mozzarella, Parmesan cheese and ricotta. Mix well then transfer to the baking pan.
• Pour the pasta mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Top with the remaining mozzarella and cover with foil.
• Bake for 30 minutes, or until mozzarella is melted and the edges are lightly browned. Let it cool 5 minutes before serving.

MEATBALL-AND-SPINACH BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish.
• Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Gently combine ground round, onion, breadcrumbs, garlic, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl; shape into 16 meatballs.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until brown on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in wine, gently scraping up brown bits from the bottom of the skillet. Stir in marinara, spinach, parsley, and basil; bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and fold in pasta.
• Transfer mixture to prepared pan; top with cheese. Bake until cheese is melted and edges are bubbly, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with parsley and basil.

HERBY SPINACH AND MUSHROOM BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the garlic is golden, about 2 minutes. Add both cans of tomatoes and 1 cup water. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat slightly, add the basil sprigs and simmer rapidly, uncovered, until thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Discard the basil sprigs and stir in the chopped basil and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, until just wilted. Transfer to a large bowl.
• Cook the ziti in the salted boiling water until very al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain the pasta and add it to the bowl.
• Add the tomato sauce, half of both the mozzarella and Parmesan to the bowl and stir well to combine. Transfer the pasta to a 3- to 4-quart baking dish and top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, until browned, about 15 minutes. Let the pasta stand about 10 minutes before serving.

BAKED ZITI WITH SPINACH AND VEAL

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to boil for pasta.
• In the skillet heat the olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, over medium to medium-high heat. Add the ground veal and lightly brown and crumble, then add the chopped carrot, shallots, garlic, and sage and season with salt and a little pepper and cook to soften carrots and onions, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, add the wine and turn the heat down a bit to simmer gently.
• Meanwhile, drop the pasta in salted water and undercook by 2 minutes from package cooking directions.
• In a saucepot over medium to medium-high heat, add butter and melt, whisk in the flour for 1 minute then whisk in the milk, bring to a bubble and season with more salt than pepper and a few grates of nutmeg. When the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon taste and adjust nutmeg and pepper to your liking.
• Add the spinach to the veal until it is wilted and incorporate, then stir together the pasta, veal mixture, and sauce. Pour the mixture into a casserole and top with the cheeses. Cool, cover and store for a make-ahead meal.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Place the casserole on a baking sheet to catch the drips and bake in a hot oven until brown and bubbly, 35 to 45 minutes if reheating, 15 to 20 minutes, if not.

BAKED ZITI WITH SPINACH AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Cook spinach as package directs, drain, cool and squeeze out well.
• Add eggs, ricotta cheese, parm. cheese, and pepper. Mix well and set aside.
• Combine cooked ziti with sauce and oregano. Place 1/2 ziti miture in lightly greased 13X9 baking dish, layered with cheese and spinach mixture. Add remaining ziti.
• Cover with tin foil and bake at 375 degrees for 25 minute or until bubbly.

BAKED ZITI WITH SPINACH AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Heat heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sausage, onion and garlic and sauté until sausage is cooked through, breaking up meat with back of spoon, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes with juices to pan. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in pesto. Season sauce with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before continuing.)
• Preheat oven to 375° F. Lightly oil 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish. Combine pasta, spinach, mozzarella and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese in large bowl. Stir in hot tomato sauce. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle remaining 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese over. Bake until sauce bubbles and cheeses melt, about 30 minutes.

BAKED ZITI WITH SPINACH, SAUSAGE, AND MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add sausage, onion, and garlic, and saute until sausage cooked through, about 10 minutes, breaking up meat with back of spoon. Add tomatoes with juice to pan. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in pesto sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
• Lightly oil 13 x 9 glass baking dish. Combine pasta, spinach, mozzarella, and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese in large bowl. Stir in hot tomato sauce. Mix gently until spinach is wilted. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle remaining 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese over top. Bake until sauce bubbles and cheese melt, about 30 minutes.

BAKED ZITI WITH SPINACH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• In a stock pot, bring salted water to a boil and add ziti. Cook to al dente according to package directions. Drain well.
• In a large bowl (or the stock pot used to prepare your pasta), add cooked ziti, spinach, and marinara sauce. Toss to coat and set aside.
• In a separate bowl, add ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and half of your mozzarella cheese. Stir to combine.
• In a 9x13 baking dish, add half of your ziti mixture and spread into an even layer. Next, add all of your ricotta mixture and spread into an even layer. Top with remaining ziti mixture. Sprinkle top of casserole evenly with reserved mozzarella cheese.
• Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted across the top and casserole is bubbling around the edges.