Easy Baked Penne with Ricotta and Basil

Another yummy freezer meal for you!

Baked Ziti with Ricotta and Basil

(or "Clean Out the Fridge" Ziti)

Ingredients
1 box of penne pasta

1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

2 tbsps. chopped fresh basil and oregano (sub dried herbs if you don't have any fresh on hand)

1 (25-ounce) jar marinara pasta sauce, divided

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

2 cups of cooked chicken shredded (You could use ground beef instead or no meat, if you wish)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook penne according to directions on package, then drain and set aside to let cool for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine ricotta cheese, basil, 1 cup of the pasta sauce and pepper in a large bowl. Transfer pasta to bowl with cheese mixture and toss gently to coat. Spread 1/2 cup of the remaining pasta sauce over the bottom of a 8-inch baking dish. Spoon 1/2 pasta mixture into dish and spread out evenly. Drizzle remaining sauce over the top, sprinkle with mozarella and bake until golden brown and hot throughout, about 30 minutes.

For Freezer:

In freezer safe dish, spread 1/2 cup of sauce. Top with remaining pasta. Freeze. Thaw in fridge, sprinkle with cheese and heat in oven at 350°F for 30-45 minutes.