Baked Zitti with Rice Penne

I’ve been a bit excited that I have discovered nice rice pasta. I’ve been trying to find ways of testing its versatility. There are many pasta dishes I have not had since I was diagnosed with a wheat allergy. Too often I miss something I enjoyed eating before and when I find a wheat-free or gluten-free substitute find I’m still missing it. The taste and texture just isn’t right.

Since discovering the Tinkyada® gluten-free pasta I have been trying to expand beyond just spaghetti and mac & cheese. I thought my next attempts at making a childhood dish would be baked ziti. I grew up with lots of Italian friends include some who were only first or second generation American. They were insulated by jarred pasta sauces and what was often passed as authentic Italian dishes. To live up to the memories of those grandmotherly Italian dishes would be quite a feat.

I searched the web and found two baked ziti recipes on Cooks.com. I followed my usual protocol and read both directions and then did my own thing.

Baked Ziti

1 16 oz bag of Tinkyada® gluten-free rice penne

8 oz pasta sauce

8 oz ricotta cheese

½ c milk

8 oz grated mozzarella cheese

1 tsp each: basil, garlic powder, Italian seasonings blend

Cover the bottom of a baking dish with pasta sauce. Mix together milk, ricotta, 6 oz of mozzarella cheese, cooked pasta, and spices. Spread over pasta sauce in baking dish. Sprinkle top with remainder of mozzarella and pasta sauce. Bake for about 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven until bubbly.

It was wonderful. The kids even liked it… well all but the mozzarella on top. The mozzarella didn’t melt and was a bit more crispy then they like, but the kids ate the rest.