baked ziti

I grew up on pasta, literally... which is exactly why my mom has difficulty believing that I actually have a food blog with a whole bunch of recipes. She remembers me skipping the meat, fish and just craving a pasta dish.

But, there was one time I couldn't even think of eating pasta. I was 25, expecting my firstborn daughter and struggled with the worst morning sickness ever.  My morning sickness was so strong, even the anti-nausea pills stopped their effect... I chewed on ginger and lemons... still I had to run to the washroom at least 5 times a day for the first 5 and half months of my pregnancy. I remember counting the days, checking off the dates on my calendar until my first trimester would be over. Through it all, oddly, overcoming morning sickness made me a tolerant person, and I had the most perfect little blond baby a Jewish mother could ask for. 

Today, like many moms, I feed my kids a fair share of pasta and the pasta dish of choice my daughters crave is Baked Ziti.  The most important part of this dish is making sure you use the right cheeses and a quality marinara sauce. You'll notice that I used American cheese, in addition to mozzarella cheese, it's totally done on purpose, it adds texture and depth to the taste.  So if you are a busy mom on-the-go like myself, be sure to turn to this recipe to feed your family. Enjoy!

baked ziti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Prep time 10 min | Total Time: 30 minutes | Serves 6 | Dairy
INGREDIENTS	INSTRUCTIONS
400 grams of pasta of choice penne, rigatoni or macaroni. 5 slices of American Cheese 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella 3/4 cup of ricotta cheese 2 tbsp of butter 2 cups of marinara sauce Kosher salt and ground pepper, to taste	1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees, prepare a rectangular baking dish. 2.  Boil a pot of salted water, cook the pasta al dente. 3.  Drain the pasta, add the butter, ricotta cheese and slices of American Cheese, salt and pepper (to taste). 4.  Spread marinara sauce on the bottom of your rectangular baking dish. 5.  Add the pasta in the baking dish, top the pasta with the remaining marinara sauce. 6.  Top the pasta with the shredded mozzarella cheese, ground pepper and cover the dish with tin foil paper. 7.  Bake in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes until the cheese is nicely melted and even a bit brown around the edges.

ricotta spinach lasagna

As a foodie mama, I have this love-hate relationship with ketchup. I think many moms feel me on this one. On one hand, I'm grateful for ketchup because hey, it gets kids eating. On the other hand.... we shvitz and toil in the kitch, cook-up all kinds of creative meals to feed our kids, and when we get all excited about introducing a new delicious meal or veggies.... they stare back at us with those cute little eyes asking for ketchup  (sigh).

Luckily, I broke ground with my little one who now loooooves this classic ricotta spinach lasagna. Fall is the time of year to feast on one-dish dinners where you can pile up veggies, protein and carbs in one (minus the ketchup). So until I figure out how to terminate my older daughter's ketchup obsession, this is one meal I'm making.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bag of spinach - 3 cups ( you can use more, it makes it healthier)
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 300 g of ricotta cheese - 1 container
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 bag of grated or fresh mozzarella
•  Marinara sauce of choice or plain tomato sauce if you do not have marinara
• Store-bought dried noodles, cooked
• Salt to taste ( I use Kosher salt- it is coarser than table salt)
• optional - basil leaves in the sauce
• optional - grated Parmesan cheese, (about 1/2 cups)

Equipment

• 9-by-13 inch baking dish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and ensure rack in the middle is in place.
2. Set a large stockpot of boiling salted water and cook the lasagna sheets.
3. Combine ricotta, egg, nutmeg, ground pepper and salt in a medium bowl. Season with pepper. Coarsely grate 1/2 of the mozzarella, and stir into ricotta mixture. Using your fingers, shred remaining mozzarella into 2-inch strips, and reserve.
4. For the Spinach: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, add onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 3 minutes. Add spinach, a few handfuls at a time, and cook, stirring frequently, until all spinach is wilted, 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a strainer and press against spinach to remove as much liquid.
5. Combine the Spinach into the ricotta mixture.
6. Heat your marinara sauce, you can add some basil leaves at this point and a bit of olive oil. No need to cook the sauce, simply warm it up.
7. For assembly: Spread 1/2 cup sauce in a 9-by-13 inch baking dish. Place a layer of noodles over marinara. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta spinach mixture over noodles. Place a layer of noodles over the cheese layer. Spread 1 cup sauce over noodles. Repeat layering (noodles, marinara, noodles, ricotta mixture). Spread remaining marinara over cheese layer, then sprinkle with shredded mozzarella and Parmesan.
8. Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until cheese is golden brown and sauce is bubbling, 45 to 50 minutes. I usually know its ready when it smells delicious in the kitchen. 
9. Let it stand for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.