This week, I started a new job and tried a few new things. The first new recipe I tried was Baked Ziti with Ricotta. This recipe was a little time consuming, but produced great overall results. This would also be a great meal for Lent, as it was meat free. I started by boiling the water for the noodles. Next, I got to work on the sauce. I heated up some olive oil and sautéed garlic and onions. Then, I added the crushed tomatoes, spices, and basil leaves. I let the sauce simmer for about 20 minutes and got the rest of the dish ready. The noodles had boiled so it was time to work on the cheese mixture. I mixed together ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, an egg, salt, and pepper. Next, I mixed the cheese mixture, noodles, and part of the sauce together. Now, it's time to assemble. I started with half the noodles and covered them with dollops of ricotta cheese. Next, I put the rest of the noodles on top. I added the remaining sauce and topped with ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, and basil leaves. I baked it at 375 for about 20 minutes. I served it with salad for a yummy Italian meal. We liked the ziti and it made plenty of leftovers. In the future, I might prep this ahead of time so I just have to bake it that night for dinner.

The New Austonian