Another nap time masterpiece! Baked Ziti---- TWO WAYS!

Ok so in this house we have another disagreement. My husband has all of a sudden professed he is not a fan of alfredo anything... And it just so happens that my favorite baked ziti is my white sauce ziti... So when I make it now I just make two different sauces :)

Here are your ingredients:::::

1 box ziti
1 jar of red pasta sauce (your favorite is fine)
1 jar of "white" pasta sauce (your favorite.. I personally love vodka sauce but they were out at the store)
mozzarella cheese (Your discretion to how much you want to use)
parm cheese (same... how ever much you like)
basil (I LOVE fresh)
oregano
parsley
salt
pepper
olive oil
1 lb of either lean hamburger or ground turkey
2 cans of petite diced tomatoes
minced garlic
2 small onions

Begin by browning your meat. I have a neat pampered chef microwave thing that I cook my meat in but you can just simply brown it in a pan too.

mince your onion... see how much I use that mini food processor.. I am telling you.. the best $10 ever SPENT!

warm about a teaspoon of olive oil in each pan. You will need two pans because you will be making two different sauces. If you want to do just one sauce.. just use two jars of the same pasta sauce. and only do one medium onion.

Drop in one minced onion per pan. sprinkle in a dash of salt and pepper per pan.

cook till translucent over medium high heat. Add a small spoon of minced garlic to each pan. Let cook for just a moment.

Add a palmful of each spice.. I am HORRIBLE at getting measurements... just a palmful = about a tablespoon.

Add 1 can of petite tomatoes per pan.

Mix all together... SO GOOD!!! I could just add some angel hair pasta to this and eat it this way too :))

Then add your jars of pasta sauce... each to each pan..... YUMMY!

Drain your meat off and add 1/2 lb to each pan. I do not like alot of meat in my ziti but you can add as much as you would like. At this point I LOVE to add in grilled zucchini and squash but a certain husband of mine does not like them but they are SO good in this too! (to grill each just slice long ways and add olive oil salt and pepper and grill over medium heat for a few minutes till slightly soft but not cooked thru then take off grill and cube and add to the sauce)

let these sauces simmer for a little bit to let the yumminess marry together!

While simmering go ahead and get your pasta water ready...

Bring to a boil and add salt.. this is the ONLY time to you favor your pasta so salt that sucker up! Add pasta

allow to cook for 8 minutes.. the pasta will continue to cook when you bake it in the oven so you want it al dente!

Drain reserving a cup of startchy pasta water

Now comes the fun time!  Assembly! Reserve 1 cup of sauce per pan. add 1/2 of pasta to one pan and 1/2 to the other... add 1/2 of pasta water to one and one to the other!

Mix together  well :)

Add 1/2 of mixture to a casserole dish. top with a dash of parm cheese and moz cheese

add remaining pasta and top with reserved sauce, moz and parm cheeses...

Do this with the other sauce pasta mixture too in a sep dish!

There now you have "white" ziti and "red" ziti!

At this point I simply let cool a little, covered with foil and placed in the fridge until about 30 minutes before supper time.

PLace both dishes in the oven at 375 for about 30 minutes, uncover foil the final 5 minutes to brown the cheesy yummy top!

Serve with salad and fresh french bread :)))) Enjoy.. I know we did!