Easy One Dish Weekend Recipe: Baked Ziti and Ambrosia: Easy One Dish Dessert

Lady of Light

Another weekend has rolled around. I am fortunate that I don't have to cook Sunday because I am getting together with children and grandchildren for a long awaited belated Christmas celebration at a restaurant. However, for those of you who will be at home with family and/or friends, I am going to share two recipes - one for dinner and one for dessert.

The first is a delicious baked ziti - for this, I use a disposable rectangular foil pan but you can use any pan that can go in the oven.

BAKED ZITI

1 large rectangular pan - oven safe
11/2 jars of Francesco Rinaldi Traditional Spaghetti Sauce
(or a sauce of your choice)
Parmesan cheese
1 pound of ziti (uncooked)
1 16oz. package of mozzarella cheese (Part Skim)
1 8 oz. container of ricotta cheese
1 pound (8 pieces) of sweet Italian sausage

1. Brown sausage in fry pan - add a small amount of water - cover and simmer for about 20 minutes
2. Drain sausage and slice it.
3. Boil water with 1tsp. salt in large pot for ziti
4. Bring water to boil and add ziti, stirring occasionally cook until done
(10 - 12 minutes)
5. Drain ziti and run cold water on it to remove starch
6. Slice mozzarella cheese in thin slices
7. Put a layer of sauce on the bottom of the rectangular pan and then add a layer of ziti; put a layer of sauce on top of the ziti and sprinkle Parmesan cheese all over it lightly coating it.
8. Dot with a teaspoon spaced around the pan some ricotta
9. Place pieces of mozzarella cheese on top of that
10. Put slices of sausage spaced around on top of cheese
11. put a layer of ziti, then sauce and repeat process
12. Repeat until ingredients are used up - cheese and sausage should be on the top
13. Cover and bake in 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes.


AMBROSIA

1 can of crushed pineapple
1 bag miniature marshmallows
3 cans of mandarin oranges
1 cup shredded coconut
1 8 oz. container of sour creme

1. open cans of mandarin oranges, drain juice
2. Dump in large bowl with marshmallows and pineapple
3. Stir in coconut
4. Fold in sour creme
5. Mix well, cover and chill at least one hour and serve

I hope that you enjoy these two recipes. The advantage, besides being one dish items, is that they can be prepared in advance of company or sports games on TV.
The ziti can also be done in the microwave for 5-10 minutes if layered in a covered casserole that is suitable for the microwave. Ambrosia can be spooned into individual dessert dishes or served from a large bowl.

God bless you - have a nice weekend.

Lady of Light