Big Batch Baked Ziti

Ingredients (raw weights)

• 30 g olive oil, as sold
• 300 g onion, raw
• 1360 g ground beef 95/5, raw
• 170 g tomato paste, canned
• 1360 g marinara/pasta sauce, as sold
• 300 g lentils, dry
• 900 g beef broth/stock, as sold
• 27 g salt, dry
• 19 g garlic powder, dry
• 6 g italian seasoning, dry
• 4.6 g black pepper, dry
• 900 g pasta, dry (uncooked)
• 240 g cottage cheese, 1% low fat, as sold
• 240 g ricotta, part-skim, as sold
• 50 g parmesan cheese, grated, as sold
• 0.5 g fresh basil, raw
• 228 g mozzarella/pizza cheese, light shredded, as sold
• 340 g marinara/pasta sauce, as sold

Steps

1. Cook diced onions in olive oil w large pinch of salt until softened and lightly browned. Push to the side or remove, add beef, and sear until browned, then break up and combine. Add tomato paste and seasonings and cook until darkened (5 mins)
2. Add dry lentils, bone broth, and marinara, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until lentils are soft and sauce is thickened (45-60 mins)
3. Cook ziti in salted water until just al dente, then drain. Add pasta to a large foil roaster rack, combine with meat sauce and cheese mixture, mix thoroughly, then top with marinara and mozzarella
4. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until cheese is melted and browned, then let sit 10 minutes before serving
5. Split into 15 even servings, store frozen, and enjoy!
6. Make sure to taste the meat sauce and the pasta for salt before combining. If either taste bland, adjust salt to taste
7. Lentils will retain some texture when cooked this way (in an acidic sauce) - I find it’s a positive and they break down more in the finished dish, but if you want them softer, just add the tomato sauce after simmering for 30 mins