A favorite in many homes on "Italian night," baked ziti is usually laden with meat and cheese. This version relies on the flavors of mushrooms and spinach instead.
My fussy spouse enjoyed this the first time I served it, which was fine. The clincher is that when I reheated the frozen leftovers some weeks later he raved! That is unusual. When I said I would save the recipe he agreed wholeheartedly. I served it with a simple salad with cherry pie for dessert.m. A hit!
I made half the recipe in an 8x8 pan, and we enjoyed it as a family meal. I substituted an anaheim pepper for the bell (for a little zip) and added chopped fresh basil and oregano. I also stirred about one TB pesto into the sauce. Another important change: layered the ricotta in between two layers of spinach mixture to keep it moist, then topped with grated sharp provolone instead of parmesan. With those flavor intensifiers, it made a nice dinner along with a romaine/arugula salad and crunchy breadsticks.
Great recipe and great way to get veggies into my hubby! I do add two links of sausage.
