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baked ziti

baked ziti with ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, and marinara

prep
15 min
cook
45 min
total
1 hr 5 min
serves
8
cheesy baked rigatoni with ricotta, mozzarella, marinara, and fresh basil
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intro

ingredients

  • 1 lb rigatoni
  • 16 oz low-fat ricotta
  • 16 oz shredded mozzarella, divided
  • ⅓ cup freshly grated parmesan
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest
  • salt + freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 24 oz marinara sauce
  • ⅓ cup reserved pasta water
  • fresh basil, for serving

let's make it

  1. 01

    preheat oven to 350°F

  2. 02

    in a bowl, mix together ricotta, 10 oz mozzarella, parmesan, garlic, oregano, lemon zest + salt

  3. 03

    cook the rigatoni until al dente, reserving ⅓ cup pasta water before draining

  4. 04

    in the pasta pot, mix together the ricotta mixture, marinara + reserved pasta water. add the rigatoni back in and toss until evenly coated

  5. 05

    transfer to a 9x13-inch baking dish and top with the remaining mozzarella

  6. 06

    loosely cover and bake for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 15 minutes

  7. 07

    let rest for 5 minutes, then top with fresh basil

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