A Working Mom's Meal Plan

The hardest part of my day is when we get home and everyone is immediately hungry. I love to cook and prefer
home-cooked meals, but I don't like to cook much during the work week. And yet, dinner has to get on the table...
My solution: make-ahead meals, freeze-ahead meals and recipes so easy that I'll make them on a Monday. I cook
mostly on the weekends, always doubling recipes, and rely heavily on my extra freezer and a decently-stocked pantry.
This cooking style saves me time and money, and it makes my life simpler—so I can actually enjoy sitting down
to supper at 6 with my family. I hope these recipes will make the witching hour a little better at your house too.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Baked Ziti

An Italian-American classic, for good reason. This makes enough for two casseroles, so bake one now and freeze one for later—or share with a friend who's had a hard week. You can use any tomato sauce here; I like to make it with Bove's vodka sauce. (from Martha Stewart)

1 lb ziti pasta
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups grated parmesan
3 cups shredded mozzarella
kosher salt and pepper
2 jars of your favorite tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray two 9x13 pans lightly with cooking spray. Cook the pasta until just barely al dente, drain and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, 1/2 cup parmesan and 1 cup mozzarella. Season mixture well with salt and pepper. Pour 1/2 jar of tomato sauce into each prepared pan and spread evenly. Add ziti to pan, then drop spoonfuls of the ricotta mixture on top of it. Cover with remaining jar of sauce, then sprinkle with parmesan and mozzarella. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

*Perfect with Garlic Butter Rolls or garlic bread on the side. If you can find it, I recommend frozen garlic bread from Better Than Bakery. It tastes like homemade, without all the work.

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