Baked Ziti

It’s a cold, rainy night here. I walked half a mile from my office to my apartment in the rain and as soon as I entered my apartment I started craving baked ziti. I called up the closest Italian restaurant to place a pick up order. The nice gentlemen told me that they have it but it’s not available for pick up. Huh? “But we can give you penne.” Um, I have penne. I can boil some and have it ready in less time than it will take me to go out in the rain, pick up the dish, and bring it back to my apartment.

But I’m still craving baked ziti! I check the pantry. I have all the ingredients I need except for the cheese mixture. I’m really, really craving baked ziti. I put my jacket back on and head out - with my umbrella this time. I walk three blocks to the grocery store and pick up the ingredients.

My diligence and hard work has paid off. I am curled up on the sofa, listening to Jack Johnson, and eating a piping hot serving of baked ziti as I write this post.

I had some things sitting in the fridge that I threw in just to see how it would go. (It went really well. The red onion is highly recommended.)

Pepperoni – I cut into thin strips
Fresh garlic – minced
Red onion – chopped

The cheese mixture consisted of 15 ounces of part skim ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan, salt and black pepper to taste, and one egg white to bind it all together.

I stirred together all of the above and once the pasta was done (16 ounces of penne), I put that into the mixture and stirred it up. Then I transferred this to a glass baking dish that already had a layer of pasta sauce sitting in it waiting for the yummy ziti. Another quick sprinkle of parmesan over the top and into a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes it went.

Yummy. And the fact that it’s cold and rainy outside makes it that much yummier.

Just realized I have the ingredients to make my heavenly truffle brownies with the peanut butter cup icing. Hmmm...