Baked Ziti

By ForkAndTheCork

Courtesy of my fabulous friend Jannell. You can find her at www.jannellskitchen.blogspot.com

Ingredients

• 1 lb cottage cheese
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups grated parm cheese
• 1 lb ziti or short tubular pasta
• 2 tbl olive oil
• 5 garlic cloves minced or pressed thru a garlic press
• 1 28oz can tomato sauce
• 1 15oz can petite diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbl fresh chopped basil (or 2 tsp dried ..or to taste)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 3/4 tsp corn starch
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 8 oz grated mozzarella cheese
• Salt
• Pepper

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat oven to 350. Mix cottage cheese, eggs and 1 cup parmesan together in a
medium bowl; set aside. Bring water to boil for pasta ..boil pasta until pasta
begins to soften but is not yet cooked through, 5-7 minutes. You want the pasta
just getting soft and still crunchyish in the middle. Drain. Don’t wash the pasta
pot.
2. Heat oil and garlic in a skillet over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Stir in
tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and oregano. Simmer until slightly thickened,
about 10 mins. Off heat, stir in basil and sugar. Salt and pepper to taste.
3. Stir cornstarch into heavy cream in small bowl, transfer mixture to empty pasta
pot set over medium heat. Bring to simmer and cook until thickened 3 to 4
minutes. Remove from heat and add cottage cheese mixture, 1 cup of the tomato
mixture and ¾ cup mozzarella. Mix together. Add pasta and combine.
4. Pour into a 13X9 baking dish and spread remaining tomato sauce mixture evenly
over pasta. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese over top.
5. Cover tightly with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue to cook
about 30 minutes longer until cheese is bubbly. Cool for 20 minutes so it can set.

Eat!