Old-School Baked Ziti with mushrooms, spinach, and garlic bread

(from castro15’s recipe box)

Categories: Meals

Ingredients

  • 0.9 oz. Butter
  • 6 oz. Ziti
  • 2 Garlic Cloves
  • 2 fl. oz. White Cooking Wine
  • 15 oz. Crushed Tomatoes
  • 1 tsp. Dried Oregano
  • 6 oz. Cremini Mushrooms
  • 1 Mini Baguette
  • 4 oz. Spinach
  • 4 oz. Shredded Mozzarella
  • 1 oz. Grated Pecorino Cheese

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Set butter on counter to soften. Bring a medium pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Thoroughly rinse produce and pat dry. Prepare a baking sheet with foil. Place a colander in the sink.

  2. Add ziti to boiling water and cook 8-10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain pasta in colander and reserve pot for later step (no need to wipe pot clean). While pasta cooks, move on to making sauce.

  3. Mince garlic. Place a small pot over medium heat and add 2 tsp. olive oil and half the garlic (reserve remaining for garlic bread) to hot pot. Cook 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add white cooking wine and cook 1 minute. Stir in crushed tomatoes, ½ cup water, and oregano. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 8-10 minutes while stirring frequently. Season to taste with salt and pepper. While sauce simmers, start preparing ingredients in next step.

  4. Prepare two medium casserole dishes with cooking spray. Cut mushrooms into ¼" slices. Halve baguettes, then halve each piece again diagonally.

  5. Return pot used to cook pasta to medium-high heat. Add 1 Tbsp. olive oil and mushrooms to hot pot and cook 2-3 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add spinach and cook 1 minute, or until wilted. Remove pot from burner and add sauce and cooked ziti. Toss to combine.

  6. Layer half the ziti on bottom of prepared casserole dishes and top with half the mozzarella. Add remaining ziti, and sprinkle with pecorino and remaining mozzarella. Bake 20 minutes, or until top is golden brown. While ziti bakes, spread butter and remaining garlic on baguette. Halfway through ziti cooking time, place baguette on baking sheet and bake 8 minutes, or until golden brown.

  7. Serve ziti straight from casserole dishes (careful, they’ll be hot!) with garlic bread on the side.

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