Cheesy Ziti Florentine

Name: Cheesy Ziti Florentine
Total time: 3600 s
Yield: 16 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 lb ground turkey; 1 box ziti (could use wheat or hidden veggie ziti); 1 packages frozen spinach, cooked and drained; 16 oz ricotta cheese (light); 1 cup mozzarella cheese; 24 oz tomato sauce; 2 tbsp basil pesto; 2 tbsp butter; 2 tbsp minced garlic; 1/2 medium onion; 1/4 cup parmesan cheese; 1 seasonings to taste; 1 optional specialty cheese to layer in the middle

Kristara @cook_3516018

This is a relatively healthy recipe and the spinach is undetectable to picky eaters.
I make this specifically to freeze so I can have a great homemade meal anytime with no mess or stress. Works great for a date night meal where you want to spend time together not slaving in the kitchen, or if you have children this is a great make ahead dish that will serve your family multiple times.
I make this in double batches takes a little bit of time but totally worth it for a month or two of great quick meals.
All my recipes will be freezer friendly so follow, especially if you're a busy mom!

Kristara @cook_3516018

Saved

Ingredients

1 hour

16 servings

1 lbground turkey
1 boxziti (could use wheat or hidden veggie ziti)
1 packagesfrozen spinach, cooked and drained
16 ozricotta cheese (light)
1 cupmozzarella cheese
24 oztomato sauce
2 tbspbasil pesto
2 tbspbutter
2 tbspminced garlic
1/2medium onion
1/4 cupparmesan cheese
1seasonings to taste
1optional specialty cheese to layer in the middle

Saved

Steps

1 hour

1

Boil ziti in extra large pot, (do step 2 while boiling) drain return to pot and add tomato sauce, set aside
2

Mix ricotta, pesto and cooked drained spinach in a bowl
3

Melt butter in pan and cook onion and garlic to translucent, about 5 minutes and transfer to bowl
4

In same pan brown turkey and season I used Italian and pepper, drain if necessary
5

to the big pot with pasta and sauce add the turkey, garlic and onion mix, mozzarella and stir well (if there isn't enough sauce adding ketchup is fine, you can also add a little brown sugar if you're sensitive to tomato acidity). Then stir in ricotta mix. Now you should just have one gigantic pot of deliciousness
6

From here you have options, bake it all... put into 3-4 disposable foil pans (2.25lb size) and freeze for multiple easy, delicious, mess free dinners another night or both this makes a lot... LOT about 8lbs
7

Put in suitable sized pan(s) to bake or freeze. You can layer another cheese in the middle (I use mild chipolte or mozzarella slices), you can add more cheese to top, sprinkle with Parmesan or whatever you like
8

If freezing close, label and date, put in freezer
9

You can also just microwave!!!! I hate the ziti noodles on top after baking because they're dry and hard, they end up in my "reject pile". If you're like me, this ziti is perfectly fine to microwave (I never bake it) everything in it is cooked, and honestly it's quicker, just do it on 30-50% power with a paper plate on top
10

If baking, bake 350-400, about an hour, again, everything in it is cooked you're simply just heating and melting. From thawed the same, just heat, oven, toaster oven or microwave!! Which also would make this a good dorm food
11

Even after 3 huge boxes (about 7lbs) for the freezer I had more than enough for two serving!