Big Batch Baked Ziti

A high-protein, freezer-friendly baked ziti with a hearty meat sauce stretched with red lentils, finished with a creamy ricotta-cottage cheese mixture and a melted mozzarella top. Makes 15 single-serving bowls for batch cooking.

Yield: 15 servings

Ingredients

Meat Sauce

Pasta

Cheese Mixture

Topping

Instructions

  1. Heat 30g (2 Tbsp) olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven (6qt+) over medium heat. Add 2 yellow onions, diced, with a large pinch of salt and cook until softened and lightly browned, about 8-10 minutes. Push to the side or remove.
  2. Add 1360g (48 oz) 96% lean ground beef and sear until browned, then break up and combine with the onions. Stir in 170g (6 oz) tomato paste, 1 1/2 Tbsp coarse kosher salt, 2 Tbsp garlic powder, 2 Tbsp Italian seasoning, and 2 tsp black pepper. Cook until the paste darkens, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add 300g (1 1/2 cups) red lentils, 900g (~4 cups) beef bone broth, and 1360g (2 jars) marinara sauce. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over medium-low heat until the lentils are soft and the sauce has thickened, 45-60 minutes.
  4. While the sauce simmers, cook 900g (32 oz) ziti pasta in salted water until just al dente, then drain. Transfer to a large foil roaster rack.
  5. In a bowl, combine 240g (1 cup) 2% cottage cheese, 240g (1 cup) part-skim ricotta, 50g (1/2 cup) grated Parmigiano Reggiano, and a handful of chopped fresh basil.
  6. Pour the meat sauce over the ziti, add the cheese mixture, and mix thoroughly. Top with 340g (1 1/2 cups) marinara sauce and 228g (2 cups) shredded part-skim mozzarella.
  7. Place the roaster rack on a sheet pan and bake uncovered at 400F (200C) for 20-30 minutes, until the cheese is melted and beautifully browned. Let rest 10 minutes.
  8. Split into 15 equal servings. Cool completely, then freeze.

Nutrition

Per serving (1 of 15 bowls): 610 calories | 45g protein | 72g carbs | 15g fat