Main Dishes Recipe ∼ Baked Ziti with Spinach and Meat

This recipe lasts my family of four for at least three meals when served with a dinner salad and crusty Italian bread. It is wonderful Italian comfort food.

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package ziti pasta
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced, divided
• 2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 12 ounces baby spinach
• 1 (16 ounce) container ricotta cheese
• ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• salt to taste
• 6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
• 1 (8 ounce) package shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir ground beef, onion, and 1/2 of the garlic in the hot skillet until beef is until browned and onion is wilted, 5 to 7 minutes. Add spaghetti sauce and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. While the meat sauce is simmering, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add remaining garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add spinach and cook, tossing occasionally, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
5. Mix ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, and wilted spinach in a bowl. Season with salt.
6. Place 1/2 of the ziti in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish and layer with 1/2 of the meat sauce. Spread provolone cheese on top to form a flat surface. Spread spinach mixture over top, then cover with remaining ziti and meat sauce. Top with 2 tablespoons Parmesan and sprinkle mozzarella over top.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let firm up for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Facts

• calories503.3
• carbohydrateContent50 g
• cholesterolContent63.5 mg
• fatContent20.3 g
• fiberContent5.2 g
• proteinContent29.2 g
• saturatedFatContent9.6 g
• sodiumContent870.3 mg
• sugarContent12.7 g