Freedom Ziti

Oh my goodness - things got really busy, really fast! I went from a week of doing absolutely nothing to a week that's PACKED FULL... of meetings, work, and FUN stuff, of course. I can't tell you how good it feels to be able to leave the house, though. This past week of ice/snow days was exciting at first and got miserable really quick. Being off work is only enjoyable if you can get out of the house and play! Don't get me wrong... Ryan and I found ways to entertain ourself during our vacation house arrest, but stepping out into sunshine and slushy sidewalks on Saturday was phenomenal! My lungs breathed a major sigh of relief. (Until they discovered the major crack that the snow left in my windshield... at which point they almost collapsed... but let's not ruin the mood.)

I needed to go to the store for all of the baking/cooking plans I had in store for the week, so Ryan and I headed to Walmart. (I rarely shop at Walmart, but one of my New Years Resolutions is to save more money so I was trying to be thrifty.) Well let me tell you something friends... Walmart is the absolute LAST place you ever want to go after 4 days of people being trapped in their houses. The absolutely overwhelming crowds weren't even close to worth the $3 (est.) I saved.

We survived though... and after a 2nd (and 3rd trip) to Tom Thumb for all of the things that Walmart was sold out of, my baking/cooking extravaganza was underway! First up: Baked Ziti.

I found the recipe here... and it was so yummy! And easy peasy! (P.S. I'm now obsessed with her blog and you'll probably be seeing a lot more of her recipes!) It got the seal of approval from my friend Rachel today when I brought it to her for lunch. :) I followed her recipe verbatim... and being the horrible blogger I am, I forgot to take pictures until it was all in the baking dish. You can thank my grumbling stomach for being overzealous.

Pre-baking:

Post-baking:

Mmmm.... cheesy goodness! Nom nom nom! Enjoy!

Low Fat Baked Ziti with Spinach

• 1 lb high fiber ziti such as Ronzoni Smart Taste
• 28 oz crushed tomatoes
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic,minced
• 10 oz frozen spinach, thawed
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• salt and fresh pepper to taste
• 8 oz fat-free ricotta
• 1/4 cup Parmesan
• 2 cups (8 oz) part skim mozzarella
• Spray olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with oil spray.
2. In a large pot of salted water, cook pasta according to instructions until al dente.Drain and return to pot.
3. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, add olive oil and sauté garlic. Add chopped spinach, salt pepper and chopped tomatoes. Season with basil, oregano, salt and pepper. 
4. Add sauce to the pasta and combine the ziti. Add half of the mozzarella, Parmesan cheese and ricotta. Mix well then transfer to the baking pan.
5. Pour the pasta mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Top with the remaining mozzarella.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, or until mozzarella is melted and the edges are lightly browned.