Baked Ziti Pasta

120mg

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb ziti (or penne pasta)

• 1 lb ground beef (85% lean)

• 1 onion, chopped

• 2 garlic cloves

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp black pepper

• 5 cups marinara sauce

• 1 1/2 cup fresh ricotta

• 10 fresh basil leaves

• 1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

• 1 cup of parmesan cheese (fresh or powdered)

• 2 tbsp of J & Jay’s infused Olive Oil

INSTRUCTIONS

Prep

1. Cook pasta according to the package instructions.

2. Chop the onion and garlic cloves.

3. Shred mozzarella cheese

4. In a pot, heat up 1 tbsp of J & Jay's infused olive oil on med-high temperature. Add the ground beef and chopped onions when the oil in the pot is warmed up.

5. Cook until the beef is fully cooked through and the onions are softened. Then add the garlic, salt and pepper and another tbsp of J & Jay's infused olive oil to the beef mixture. Cook until the garlic is fragrant.

6. Add 5 cups of marinara sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stir every 5 mins.

Assembly

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Spread a generous amount of the meat sauce at the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish.

3. Pour half of the pasta into the casserole dish. Spread the pasta evenly, then top with half of the shredded mozzarella and half of the parmesan cheese.

4. Add the other half of the pasta into the dish and spread the pasta evenly. Then top with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

5. Bake the casserole for 25-30 minutes and broil for 2-4 minutes to create a golden cheese crust.

6. Let it rest for 10 minutes after taking it out of the oven before serving.

TIPS

• Add more infused olive oil or substitute regular olive oil based on desired dosage. When adding extra olive oil, simmer the sauce for longer.

• Adding fresh basil to the meat sauce will add another depth of flavour

• Adding ricotta cheese to the meat sauce will make the sauce more rich.

• If you love garlic add more into the recipe.