Baked Ziti with Ricotta and Spinach
Baked Ziti with Ricotta and Spinach
1 lb ground beef* (optional)
10 oz frozen spinach, cooked and drained thoroughly
15 oz container part-skim ricotta cheese
3 eggs, well beaten
2/3 cup grated parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cups tomato sauce (about 1 1/2 jars tomato sauce if using ground beef with the recipe)
1 lb ziti, cooked and drained
Cook spinach according to package directions. Drain and thoroughly press out any moisture/water.
If you'd like to include the ground beef, brown it in a frying pan until cooked. Mix in about 2 cups of tomato sauce. Since I added the beef to the original, I ended up using about 1 1/2 jars of spaghetti sauce.
In a large bowl, combine spinach with the ricotta, eggs, parmesan, salt, pepper, and 2 1/2 cups tomato sauce. With a fork, whip the mixture until it becomes fluffy, then add the cooked ziti. If including the ground beef, combine with the pasta mixture. Spread the remaining tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9x12 inch baking dish and cover with the pasta mixture. Bake in a 375 degree preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until heated through.
1 lb ground beef* (optional)
10 oz frozen spinach, cooked and drained thoroughly
15 oz container part-skim ricotta cheese
3 eggs, well beaten
2/3 cup grated parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cups tomato sauce (about 1 1/2 jars tomato sauce if using ground beef with the recipe)
1 lb ziti, cooked and drained
Cook spinach according to package directions. Drain and thoroughly press out any moisture/water.
If you'd like to include the ground beef, brown it in a frying pan until cooked. Mix in about 2 cups of tomato sauce. Since I added the beef to the original, I ended up using about 1 1/2 jars of spaghetti sauce.
In a large bowl, combine spinach with the ricotta, eggs, parmesan, salt, pepper, and 2 1/2 cups tomato sauce. With a fork, whip the mixture until it becomes fluffy, then add the cooked ziti. If including the ground beef, combine with the pasta mixture. Spread the remaining tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9x12 inch baking dish and cover with the pasta mixture. Bake in a 375 degree preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until heated through.