Baked Ziti For One

• servings: 1 serving
• active time: 10 minutes
• total time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

2 ounces dried ziti (or penne pasta., ⅔ cup dry pasta = 1 ¼ cup cooked ziti pasta)

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ cup chopped onions

1 clove garlic (, minced)

4 ounces ground beef

½ teaspoon kosher salt (, divided)

⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes (--optional)

1 cup marinara Sauce (or tomato sauce, plus 2 tablespoons for the bottom of the dish.)

⅓ cup ricotta cheese

6 tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese (--divided)

4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (--divided)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). While it heats, boil a pot of water for the pasta. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente (slightly firm). Drain and set aside.

Sauté the Veggies and Meat: In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, ground beef, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and red pepper flakes. Cook, breaking up the meat, for 8 minutes, or until browned.

Simmer the Sauce: Stir in marinara sauce and simmer briefly. Remove from heat and fold in the cooked pasta.

Creamy Cheese Mixture: In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, 2 tablespoons of the mozzarella cheese, 2 tablespoons of the Parmesan cheese, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Fold this creamy mixture into the pasta/meat sauce mixture.

Assemble and Bake: In a small (5x5-inch) greased baking dish, spread 2 tablespoons of marinara sauce. Top with half the pasta mixture, then sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of mozzarella cheese. Add the remaining pasta mixture and top with remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

Bake and Enjoy! Cover the dish and bake in the middle rack for 20 minutes. Let cool slightly before digging in.

Nutrition

• Calories: 703 kcal
• Total Fat: 32 g
• Saturated Fat: 12 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
• Cholesterol: 122 mg
• Sodium: 2176 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 48 g
• Dietary Fiber: 5 g
• Total Sugars: 17 g
• Protein: 62 g