Do you ever need a quick comfort meal? If so, this is it!! It takes almost no time to put together and the rewards are a big pan of cheesy tomato pasta that will feed your family for many nights.  I doubled this recipe because I wanted to make some for a cousin who just had a super cute baby boy. I figured they could use some comfort food because having a newborn is…um…well it’s super hard. That’s all I have to say about that for now. I myself have a newborn and I’m kind of tired. And maybe he’s not so newborn because he is three months old now. But whatever, I’m still tired. They are a lot of work. Unlike this pasta which is pretty easy.

(A note about Marinara sauce: You can certainly make your own from scratch or you can buy my all time favorite, Rao’s Marinara, which is kind of expensive but totally worth it. Promise!)

Here’s where I found this little gem: http://funnyloveblog.com/2012/12/19/easy-baked-ziti/

Easy Baked Ziti

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ziti or penne
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 8 oz mozzarella or provolone cheese
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 4 cups marinara, homemade or from a jar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

1. Cook pasta according to directions on the box. Then drain and run cold water over it to stop the cooking process.

2.  Mix ricotta, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, the parmesan cheese and once cup of marinara in a bowl. Add pasta and toss to mix thoroughly.

3.  Spread pasta mixture over the bottom of a casserole dish evenly and then add the remaining marinara over the top. Then top with cheese.

4. Bake for 20-30 mins or until brown and bubbly.

This is also a great make ahead dish that you can freeze for later. If you freeze, cover with saran wrap and then foil. Then bake at 375 degrees for 60-75 mins or until heated through and brown and bubbly.

Enjoy!!