Thursday, April 30, 2009

Baked Ziti with Pesto

We had this for dinner earlier this week. Actually we are still having it for dinner as it made enough for leftovers - my favorite.

1 lb whole wheat ziti, cooked al dente according to package directions
1 lb lean ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
2-3 shakes Worcestershire sauce
1 26 oz jar spaghetti sauce (or homemade, this week I used the jar)
16 oz part skim ricotta cheese
3 oz softened cream cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup pesto (homemade or store bought, this week it was store bought)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook onion, ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper (to taste) until meat is browned and onion is tender. Drain and set aside. In a medium size bowl, mix together ricotta, cream cheese, parmesan, pesto, garlic, salt and pepper (to taste). Combine ziti, meat mixture, cheese mixture and spaghetti sauce and stir until everything is incorporated. Pour mixture into a greased 9 x 13 glass baking dish. Sprinkle mozzarella over top. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until chees is melted and pasta is heated through. Serve with garlic bread and salad.

2 comments:

Amy said...

Can I please come over for dinner sometime? Seriously, I don't know how you make such yummy meals with 4 children. You are AMAZING!!

Jenn said...

Come on over. Luckily cooking is something I enjoy. And I only really cook a couple of times a week. That is why I like leftovers so much.