Recipes

A Blend of Italian and Tex-Mex Makes for Zesty, Delicious Ziti Dish

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Tony Maples Photography

 

This unique Tex-Mex dish is great for a week night meal or is freezer-friendly for one of those nights you don’t feel like cooking. This delicious meal combines a little bit of Italian with a little bit of “Texican”. It’s easy and fast to make, and it’s delicious!

Tex-Mex Ziti

Tex-Mex Ziti

INGREDIENTS:

1 (12oz) package of ziti

1 pound of ground beef

½ onion chopped

2 cups spaghetti sauce

1 cup salsa

1 (15 oz) container of ricotta cheese

2 cups shredded Mexican cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 9×13  baking dish with cooking spray .  Boil, drain, and rinse ziti as directed on package, set aside in large bowl.  In a skillet brown hamburger meat over medium heat and add onion.  After meat is browned and onions are tender, drain grease.  Combine pasta, sauce, salsa, ricotta cheese, hamburger meat and 1 cup of Mexican cheese together and stir.  Put mixture into baking dish and bake on 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  After 25 minutes remove from oven and sprinkle with 1 cup of Mexican cheese, place in oven for approximately 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with cilantro or parsley.

Optional additions: green chilies, jalapeno peppers, black olives, Parmesan cheese

You can also replace hamburger meat with sweet mild or hot Italian sausage.