Baked Ziti
Ingredients
1 lb ziti or penne pasta
3 cups home made tomato sauce
1/2 cup pasta water
1 cup Italian cheese blend (parmesan, asiago, provolone)
1 cup Mozzarella
2 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped ( opt for 2 tsp dried basil)
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme ( opt for 1 tsp dried thyme)
1 Tablespoon fresh oregano ( opt for 1 tsp dried oregano)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350F. Cook pasta according to box directions with a generous pinch of salt. Drain pasta and reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.
Add pasta and pasta water back into pot and stir in 3/4 cup Italian cheese blend, 1 cup of tomato sauce, and all of herbs (basil, thyme, and oregano). Pasta should have a creamy and cheesy consistency.
Transfer pasta to a 13×9 baking dish. Layer with rest of tomato sauce, mozzarella, and 1/4 cup Italian cheese blend over top.
Bake covered with foil for 20 minutes until cheese is bubbling and browned. Garnish with fresh herbs and enjoy!