If you're like me, you love having someone else cook for you! And how about when they do and it's INCREDIBLE! Isn't that just the best thing EVER? I sure think so.

This past month I've experienced some of the best food.

I've been on the road traveling. And whether it was the delectable Grilled Rib Eye Steaks Smoked Brisket or the amazing Baked Ziti I had the other night, I am eternally grateful!

Being a single person on a budget I do all my own cooking. I don't eat out much. So, I'm always looking for a good new recipe that's really tasty.

My friends Dan & Laura invited me to dinner the other night and they had this incredible baked Ziti.

I realized I've never had this before. It was delicious and very "Lasagna Like" but with just enough difference to make it in a category of its own.

Perfectly flavored comfort food for a cold winter day.

The other good thing is it makes a huge pan so you can feed many, or save it for a tasty leftover lunch.

I thought it was so good I wanted to share the recipe.

I'm not a great cook. I mean, it doesn't come to me naturally but I can follow a recipe so I asked for it.

I want to share it with you too, it looks like there are several really good recipes on this site so check it out! Baked Ziti Recipe from Spend with Pennies Home-cooked Comfort.

Meat: Italian sausage adds great flavor to the sauce. Feel free to replace it with ground beef (or ground turkey).

Sauce: This should be browned before adding to the casserole. Add more seasonings, spices (and some chili flakes for heat), and a tablespoon of olive oil for flavor. To make this dish vegetarian, use finely minced vegetables like mushrooms, eggplant, or zucchini.

Pasta: I use ziti in this recipe however, penne, rigatoni, or other tube-shaped pasta can be used in place.

Cheese: Ricotta cheese makes the creamy cheese layer in this recipe. Replace it by blending cottage cheese with an egg until smooth. Feel free to add spinach or additional herbs to the cheese mixture.

Topping: I sprinkle mozzarella cheese overtop for a browned bubbly topping. Just before serving, I love to add freshly grated parmesan cheese and some fresh herbs like parsley or basil.

  1. Brown the sausage and onion (per the recipe below) in a large sauté pan. Add sauce ingredients and simmer.
  2. Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water.
  3. Combine the cheese mixture in a small bowl.
  4. In a greased casserole dish, layer sauce, ziti, and the ricotta mixture.
  5. Top with the remaining shredded mozzarella and bake.

Send me an App Chat if you make it and let me know what you think. I will definitely be making it on a regular basis.

Juan 92.5 FM logo
Get our free mobile app

And if you have any really good recipes you'd like to share, Please send me those!

Bon Appetite!

Foods That Should NEVER Go On Pizza -- No Matter WHAT!

We've seen pineapple, now pickles....what else could go wrong? Let's avoid it before it happens.

Gallery Credit: Nicole Murray

LOOK: 20 American foods that raise eyebrows outside of the US

Stacker compiled a list of 20 unusual and uniquely American foods that might raise eyebrows outside the U.S.

Gallery Credit: Charlotte Barnett