Mediterranean Baked Ziti

INGREDIENTS
16 ounces ziti
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1 large onion, chopped
1 large zucchini, chopped
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 15-ounce cans tomato sauce
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried parsley
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 cup olives, roughly chopped
1 cup ricotta cheese
14 ounces Sincerely, Brigitte™ tomato olive cheese, grated
INSTRUCTIONS
bring a large pot of water to a boil, and cook the ziti in it until it is just shy of al dente. drain the pasta and set it aside.
heat the olive oil in a very large skillet over medium heat. add the garlic, onion, and zucchini and cook, stirring, until all the veggies are soft – about 5 minutes.
add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, spices, sun-dried tomatoes, and olives. stir everything together, reduce the heat to medium-low, and let the sauce simmer for about 20 minutes. taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking.
meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
add the ricotta cheese to the sauce and stir it until it melts and becomes incorporated. add the pasta to the pan and toss to coat.
pour half the sauce-covered pasta into a 9×13-inch baking dish or casserole pan. take ⅓ of the grated cheese and spread it over the pasta. then add the rest of the pasta and top it with the rest of the grated cheese.
bake the ziti in the oven for 30 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and starting to turn brown. serve immediately.
NOTES
if you’re short on time, you can use your favorite jarred pasta sauce instead of making one from scratch, as described here. during step 3, skip the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and spices, and instead add two jars of prepared sauce. keep everything else the same, except you can now simmer the sauce for 5 minutes instead of 20.