Freezer-Friendly Baked Ziti
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 8 servings
- Calories
- 575
- Total Fat
- 27
- Saturated Fat
- 14
- Carbohydrates
- 55
- Dietary Fiber
- 5
- Sugar
- 6
- Protein
- 30
- Cholesterol
- 137
- Sodium
- 1066
- Total: 1 hr (includes cooling time)
- Active: 25 min
Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray, for the baking dish
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ziti noodles
2 cups freshly grated provolone piccante
1 cup freshly grated low-moisture mozzarella
1 large egg
15 ounces ricotta
One 10-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed and thoroughly drained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
3 cloves garlic, grated
One 32-ounce jar tomato sauce
2 teaspoons Calabrian chile paste
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch freezer-friendly baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta 2 minutes short of al dente and reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
- Add the provolone and mozzarella to a bowl and toss evenly to combine. Set aside until ready to assemble. Crack the egg in a bowl and whisk to break up the yolk. Add the ricotta, spinach, basil, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper to the bowl with the egg and mix evenly to combine. Set aside.
- Transfer the drained pasta back to the pot and add the reserved pasta water along with the tomato sauce, Calabrian chile paste and 1/4 cup Parmesan. Toss to evenly coat the noodles in the sauce. (The noodles may seem a little liquidy, but this prevents the ziti from becoming dry during baking; they will absorb most of the liquid.)
- Layer half of the pasta in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Dollop half of the ricotta mixture over the pasta. Top the ricotta with half of the mozzarella/provolone blend. Top the cheese with remaining pasta and dollop the remaining ricotta mixture on top. Top with remaining mozzarella/provolone blend and the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.
- If baking right away: Transfer to the oven and cook until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted and slightly browned in places, 25 to 30 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
- If freezing: Let the dish cool completely, then cover with a double layer of foil to prevent freezer burn. The ziti can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months. To cook from frozen, place the covered ziti in a 350 degree F oven and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the foil and cook until bubbling and the cheese is melted and slightly browned in places, an additional 15 to 20 minutes.