this is one of those meals that brings everyone to the counter in a flash. i’m talking bellies up. forks in hand. gimme gimme gimme more. everyone loves this recipe. and that makes mama happy.

there are few things more comforting than a cheesy warm baked ziti. its like love in every bite. this version is a bit cleaned up. but still devilishly good & totally indulgent. it doesn’t lack in the comfort department. and its a ten when it comes to flavor. but swapping the red meat for ground turkey. and choosing to use whole wheat pasta makes it a bit more health friendly.

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ohhh its just so dang good. my mouth is already watering.

i used crushed tomatoes & tomato paste to create my sauce. but you could use a jar of premade sauce to cut down on prep time & dirty dishes. totally your call.

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so you want to know my secret to this recipe? i’ll tell you.

it’s the basil.

use allllll theeeeee basilllllll. i’m talking like two packs of fresh basil leaves. you can never have too much basil. it will take your dish to next level. so go way overboard. i promise you will never regret adding all the basil in.

turkey baked ziti:

1 pound ground turkey

1 box whole wheat ziti pasta

15 ounces part skim ricotta cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 egg

1 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes

1 6 ounce can tomato paste

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 packs of fresh basil, chopped

1 bag of part skim shredded mozzarella cheese

salt & pepper to taste

boil ziti noodles. drain & set aside.

brown your turkey on medium heat. season with salt & pepper. add oregano if you want.

in a separate pot. combine the crushed tomatoes. tomato paste. garlic powder. onion powder. oregano. and the basil leaves. stir to combine.

then add in the browned turkey.

in a separate bowl. combine the ricotta. parmesan. and the egg. mix it well.

add the cheese mixture to the sauce. stir to blend.

add the pasta into the sauce mixture. stir to blend.

pour this into a 9 x 13 pan. top with allllll the shredded mozzarella cheese.

bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. until the cheese is bubbly & golden brown.

enjoy!