When planning meals for the week, I try to think how I can utilize base recipes like sauces, doughs, and marinades in more than one dish for the week or freeze them to use later in the month. This recipe uses vodka sauce that I typically make every other month. Making a big batch, I’ll use some of the sauce on the same day and freeze the remainder for dinner when I’m short on time. Baked pasta is one of my go-to recipes when I need a hearty meal with no fuss. If you want to skip making your own sauce, you can use a 28-ounce jar of your favorite pasta sauce to keep things easy. If you’re a planner like me, you can assemble the dish and freeze for a later use. Just adjust your baking time to 45 minutes. 

Three-Cheese Baked Ziti
Serves 6

Ingredients
3½ cups vodka sauce (recipe here) or 1 28-ounce jar pasta sauce
1 pound ziti
15 ounces ricotta cheese
2 eggs, beaten
¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and set aside a 13×9-inch baking dish. 
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to the directions on the package. Drain pasta and set aside. 
3. In a large bowl, stir together the ricotta, eggs, and parmesan cheese, then season with salt and pepper.
4. In a separate bowl, toss pasta with sauce to evenly distribute. 
5. Spoon half of the pasta into the baking dish. Evenly top the pasta with the cheese mixture, then add the remaining pasta on top. Generously sprinkle the top of the pasta with mozzarella cheese. 
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling around the edges. Serve immediately with salad and garlic bread. 

Note

1. Freeze leftover vodka sauce for up to 1 month for a later use. 

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