Baked Ziti with Vegetables

Although I call this "baked ziti", Tinkyada (which makes the yummiest gluten-free brown rice pasta) has not yet come out with ziti. So I use their macaroni or penne pasta in this recipe. Still tastes great.



Serves 6-8
1 eggplant, peeled (if desired), diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 zucchini, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
1 lb. Tinkyada brown rice pasta (penne or macaroni)
1 lb. ground beef
1 25.5 oz jar of organic pasta sauce
8 oz. whole milk ricotta*
1 tsp. salt & 1/4 pepper or more to taste
1/2 bunch fresh basil, chopped (optional)
8 oz. whole milk mozzarella, shredded*

1. Heat a large pot of water until boiling. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. Preheat oven to 350.
3. Meanwhile, saute eggplant, zucchini, onion, and garlic in olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until soft, about 10 minutes. Remove vegetables from the pan to a plate when done.
4. Brown ground beef in same pan used for vegetables.
5. Combine pasta, sauted vegetables, browned beef, pasta sauce, riccotta, salt, pepper, and optional fresh basil in a 9x13 casserole dish. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella over the top.
6. Cook at 350 until bubbling, about 30 - 45 minutes. (Tip: Heat pasta sauce in a small sauce pan while you are cooking the other ingredients so that it is already hot when you combine all the ingredients. It will speed up the final cooking time.)

*A word about ingredients: Dairy products are best consumed raw. However, occasionally the super-sensitive Shipe household makes an exception and actually cooks some cheese and enjoys its ooey, gooey, melty deliciousness.