Cheesy Baked Ziti

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Cheesy Baked Ziti
This baked ziti is not only made with THREE kinds of cheese, but there’s hidden veggies in the sauce that even the pickiest eaters will love (and so will the rest of the family)! Bake up this pasta casserole for your next gathering or to enjoy all week as tasty leftovers!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Yields: 12 - 16 servings
Ingredients:
1 red bell pepper, finely diced (Produce)
2 carrots, peeled and finely diced (Produce)
1 white onion, finely diced (Produce)
1 tbsp minced garlic (Produce)
1 pound ground beef (Meat)
1 pound Italian sausage (Meat)
2 tablespoons tomato paste (Aisle 4)
2-28 ounce cans crushed tomatoes (Aisle 4)
2 tsp. Italian seasoning (Aisle 6)
¼ tsp. cinnamon (Aisle 6)
1 box (16 ounces) dry ziti (Aisle 4)
15 ounces whole milk ricotta (Dairy)
1 pound mozzarella, shredded (Dairy)
½ cup shredded Parmesan (Dairy)
Kosher salt, to taste (Aisle 6)
Directions:
Set a large pot of water over high heat to boil. Once boiling, add a very generous amount of kosher salt to the water (it should taste like the ocean).
Lightly coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Meanwhile, place a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the ground beef and Italian sausage. Cook, breaking up the large chunks of meat with the back of a spoon, until meat is browned. Remove meat from pot, leaving behind the drippings.
Add the diced bell pepper, diced carrots, and diced onion to the pot with a generous sprinkle of kosher salt, stirring to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more.
Add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and stir to combine, cooking the mixture for another minute.
Return the browned meat to the pan, followed by the crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, cinnamon, and another pinch of kosher salt.
Stir everything to combine, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook sauce for 10 minutes.
While the sauce simmers, add 1 pound of ziti pasta to the boiling water and cook for 6 - 7 minutes. The noodles should be firmer than al dente, as they’ll continue to cook in the sauce. If they’re overcooked the dish will be mushy!
Drain the pasta and place in a large bowl. Add a generous scoop of the prepared sauce to the pasta and stir to coat.
Spread a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish, topping it with half of the noodles followed by half of the remaining sauce. Dollop half of the ricotta cheese over the noodles and sauce and sprinkle with half of the shredded mozzarella.
Create another layer by adding the remaining noodles, the rest of the sauce, dollops of the remaining ricotta, and sprinkling with the rest of the mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle the parmesan over the entire dish.
Bake ziti in preheated oven for 45 - 55 minutes, or until cheese is melted and lightly browned on top.
Let stand for a few minutes before serving.
Leftovers can be stored in refrigerator for up to five days.
To prepare ziti for freezing: follow directions up to sprinkling parmesan cheese. Allow dish to cool completely before wrapping in plastic and then in foil.
To cook after freezing: thaw pan in refrigerator overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove foil and plastic wrap layers, discarding the plastic wrap. Recover the pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake another 25 - 35 minutes more, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.