Easy and Impressive Baked Ziti

I’ve made this recipe three times in the last couple months so I had to share it!  The first time was for family at Christmas, then I made two pans for families who recently had babies.  Each time it was a big hit!

Baked Ziti @ Food Network

I simplified it by using a jar of tomato basil marinara instead of making my own tomato sauce.  I bought most everything at Trader Joe’s.

Here is the ziti pre-baked.  If making this dish for someone else, cook the pasta and assemble everything, but leave the baking up to them.  Don’t forget to include baking instructions!

I wish I had a picture of the pan post-baking but I’m sure you can imagine all that cheese melted and gooey.  I think the key ingredient is the fresh mozzarella so don’t skimp on it if you can.  The best deal I could find is the 16oz ball pictured for $4.99 at TJ’s.  The recipe makes a 9×13 pan so it will feed a lot of people, bringing the cost per serving down.

Now I’m craving this again.  I’ll have to write it into the meal plan next week!