Cheesy Ziti Florentine

In an effort to get the blog completely updated before the new year (and thanks to some vacation time) you should start seeing posts more frequently as I recap my fall cooking. Here is the first...a yummy take on baked ziti. This is a good baked ziti and a nice way to incorporate your vegetables for a one dish meal.

Cheesy Ziti Florentine

1 lb ground beef (we used ground turkey)
1 onion diced
2 cloves of garlic diced
1 jar of good marinara sauce (or homemade)
3/4 cup water
4 oz (1/2 small package) of frozen chopped spinach (defrosted)
1 lb of ziti pasta
1 8 oz container of ricotta cheese
1-2 cups of mozzarella
1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese grated
1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
2 teaspoons of salt (more to taste)
1 teaspoon of pepper (more to taste)
1/2 cup of whatever red wine you have on hand (if you don't have any, simply omit--we did)
1 tablespoon of Mrs. Dash
1 teaspoon of dried oregano

Start by browning your ground beef in a large pan. Drain any excess grease, add onions and garlic. Saute until onions are tender. Meanwhile - boil your pasta, make sure you season the water with salt well. Undercook the pasta by about 1-2 minutes. Add the wine to the ground beef, onions and garlic- allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Add the marinara sauce and the water- I like mine to be a little saucy and not as thick. Add your defrosted spinach. Stir in your salt, pepper, Mrs. Dash (or any nice salt free seasoning blend you prefer), crushed red pepper and oregano. Season to taste at this point. Drain your ziti noodles and put back into the hot pan. Make sure the pan is off of the heat. Stir in ricotta cheese until well incorporated with the noodles. Combine your sauce and noodles in the large noodle pot. Stir well. Once in the pan, top with shredded mozzarella cheese and bake at 375 covered for 20 minutes. Uncover the dish, add the Parmesan cheese and allow cheese to brown ( 5-6 minutes).

Source: Everyday Gourmet