Recipe Corner: Baked Ziti

There was a hush over the crowd as the Iron Chef Moo returned at long last.  The drought was over and here is today's recipe of the day.....a good old fashioned Baked Ziti dish you will want to serve to the kids as well as the adults.

Baked Ziti

6 cups (16 ox.) box of Cut Ziti uncooked
32 ounces of spaghetti sauce
2 cups (16 oz.) ricotta cheese
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 - 3/4 lbs of ground meat

Boil water for ziti.  Then cook meat first, drain, and leave off to the side.  Cook ziti according to directions (real simple) for about 10-11 minutes once the water boils.  In a very large bowl, combine cooked ziti, 1 1/2 cups sauce, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, ground meat, parsley, egg, oregano, garlic powder, and pepper.  In a 3 quart casserole dish, pour a half cup of spaghetti sauce into the bottom and spread it around to get a coating.  Then spread the ziti mixture into the casserole dish.  Top with the remaining sauce then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Baked covered at 375 for about 30-35 minutes then put on trivet and uncover to let it cool.

Serves about 8.