Oven Baked Zesty Ziti

Remember I mentioned Mr. Fantastik loves carbs? More specifically, he looooves anything with pasta, marinara sauce, and meat. After all, he does have some Italian blood running through those veins of his. So, when I found this recipe for baked ziti I decided to give it a go.

Then life happened. I spent all day organizing, unpacking, doing laundry... and suddenly I just wanted it to be a quick and simple throw in a pan and bake kind of meal, not a stand over the stove to make sure the pasta doesn't boil over kind of meal. 

So, taking the above recipe as my inspiration, I decided to make it my own version...

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey, cooked

2.5 cups ziti pasta

1 can tomato sauce

1 jar spaghetti/pasta sauce

1 can petite diced tomatoes

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp garlic powder

1-1.5 tsp red pepper flakes (to your taste)

1 tsp onion flakes

1 cup water

 In an ungreased 9x13 pan add the meat, sauces, tomatoes, and spices. Stir to mix. 

Add in the ziti and water. Mix together. 

Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 40-50 minutes or until pasta is done.

Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella or Italian mix cheese to taste. 

I loved being able to throw this together in a hurry and not having to stand over the stove watching the pasta to be sure it didn't boil over! I may try it some day when I have more time and energy and then shorten the cook time, but we are definitely going to be using this again for a simple, throw in the oven and be done dinner.

As with any of the recipes I post, let me know your thoughts if you give this a try!