Easy Baked Ziti with Cottage Cheese

I have made this recipe several times and I think it is fast and easy and tastes delicious.  If you'd like, you can throw in whatever you have leftover in your fridge . . . chopped olives, fresh spinach, chopped onion, peppers, parsley, etc . . . You could even switch up the cheese if you wanted.

I like to keep several containers of my homemade spaghetti sauce in the freezer for quick weeknight dishes.  So, if you have done the same thing, this will be the easiest ziti you have ever made.  All you would have to do is get your sauce out of the freezer (remember it already has the meat in it), cook the pasta, stir together with the cottage cheese and Mozzarella and anything else you might want to add, bake and eat.  Is that easy enough for you?  I have also made this using store-bought sauce and ground beef and it tastes great too, it will just take a few extra minutes to cook the meat, which isn't a big deal, because you will be cooking the pasta anyway.  Serve with some soft and chewy French Bread or garlic bread on the side! 

Easy Baked Ziti with Cottage Cheese

adapted from: Gray Cardigan
(Printable Recipe)

8 oz. ziti or rigatoni, cooked and drained

8 oz. Mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 c. cottage cheese

1 jar (approx. 24 oz.) spaghetti sauce or homemade

salt and pepper (if using store-bought sauce)
1 tsp. italian seasoning (if using store-bought sauce)

1/2 Lb. ground beef, cooked (if using store-bought sauce)

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients (reserving a little Mozzarella for topping) and mix well.  Pour into a greased 8x8 casserole dish.  Top with remaining cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until heated through and sauce is bubbly.  Serves 4-5.

Jenn's Notes:  If you use my homemade sauce that already has the meat and all the seasonings in it, I would use around 2 1/2 - 3 cups.  It will just depend on how saucy you like your pasta.