PASTA = Baked Ziti

By pattiwarner

Ingredients

• 1 lb. whole milk or 1% cottage cheese
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 oz. grated parmesan(about 1 1/2 cups)
• Salt
• 1 lb. ziti or other short tube pasta
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (28 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 1 tsp sugar
• Ground black pepper
• 3/4 tsp cornstarch
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 8 oz low moisture mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4 inch pieces(1 1/2 cups)

Details

Servings 8

Preparation

Step 1

Adjust oven rack to middle and heat to 350 degrees. Whisk cottage cheese, eggs, and 1 cup parmesan together in medium bowl. Cook pasta in salted water, cooking until softened not cooked through. Drain.
Meanwhile, heat oil and garlic in skillet over medium heat until garlic is fragrant, not brown, 2 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and oregano. Simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Off heat stir in 1/2 cup basil and sugar. Season with salt and pepper.
Stir cornstarch into heavy cream and transfer into dutch oven set over medium heat. Bring to simmer and cook until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove pot from heat and add cottage cheese mixture, 1 cup tomato sauce and 3/4 cup mozzarella, then stir to combine. Add pasta and stir to coat thoroughly with sauce.
Transfer pasta mixture to 13 x 9 baking dish and spread remaining tomato sauce evenly over pasta. Sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella and remaining 1/2 cup parmesan over top. Cover baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove foil and continue until cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes longer. Cool for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 2 Tbsp. basil and serve.