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5 Heartwarming Heirloom Recipes for Joyful Family Lunches

Aunt's Baked Ziti

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This cheesy pasta bake keeps family traditions alive with layers of ziti, meat sauce, and three types of cheese.
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Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 30 minutes
30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Servings: 10 1.5 cup servings
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 3073
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb Ziti pasta
  • 1 lb Lean Ground Beef
  • 1 Onion
  • 2 26 oz Jars or cans of spaghetti sauce I use Hunt's
  • 6 oz Provolone cheese, sliced
  • 1 1/2  cups Sour Cream
  • 6 oz Mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 2 tbsp Grated Parmesan cheese

Equipment

  • 1 9x13 dish suitable for baking in the oven

Method
 

  1. Cook ziti al dente.
  2. Brown beef and onion in a po, then add sauce and simmer.
  3. Layer in a 9x13 dish: half the ziti, provolone, sour cream, half the sauce, remaining ziti, mozzarella, and remaining sauce. Top with Parmesan.
  4. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes until cheese is melted.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.75cupsCalories: 3073kcalCarbohydrates: 366gProtein: 169gFat: 99gSaturated Fat: 48gPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 27gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 493mgSodium: 613mgPotassium: 3191mgFiber: 16gSugar: 29gVitamin A: 2238IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 598mgIron: 17mg

Notes

Baked ziti is a classic Italian-American casserole that evolved from Southern Italian pasta al forno (baked pasta) dishes brought to America by Italian immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These immigrants, predominantly from Southern Italy, adapted their traditional recipes using ingredients available in America.
The layering technique and combination of multiple cheeses (provolone, mozzarella, and Parmesan) along with sour cream shows some American influence and adaptation, as traditional Italian versions might use ricotta instead of sour cream and fewer varieties of cheese.

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