Baked Ziti – Gluten-free

My family loves Italian food, so what better dish than Baked Ziti for a great fall meal?  This recipe is so simple and the results are so flavorful.  It is also a great meal to make and then freeze half of for a later date when you are in a hurry.  I found the base recipe on Allrecipes.com and modified it to be gluten-free. 

1 (16 ounce) package ziti pasta (I used Trader Joe’s Brown Rice Penne Pasta)

15 ounces ricotta cheese (part skim)

1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese (I used a little less than a pound -that was all I had left)

1 egg, beaten

1 (32 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce (I used Prego Three Cheese – verified gluten-free)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

 

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti and cook for 7-8 minutes (you want it to be a little undercooked so it doesn’t get mushy in the baking process; drain and rinse.
2. In a medium bowl, mix ziti, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, egg and 1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4. Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish and spoon in ziti mixture. Top with remaining spaghetti sauce, followed by Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake covered in preheated oven for 30 -40 minutes; broil uncovered for 5 or so minutes; let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Jon said that he liked this better than lasagna!!!  That is quite the compliment, as he is always asking for lasagna.  Don’t tell him, but this dish is much simpler to put together. 

I think it would be great to toss some roasted veggies in with this….mushrooms, zucchini, squash and tomatoes.  My family would refuse to eat it, but I would love it! 😉 

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LiveJournal Tags: gluten-free baked ziti,dinner