Baked Ziti with Crunch Garlic Bread

photo from: Everyday Food

This recipe is easy and quick to make and the crunchy garlic bread is a nice addition!  Ben and I are trying to have one meatless meal a week, we've found that it cuts down on our grocery bill and makes us (me) be more creative in meal planning.  I know pasta isn't that crazy of an alternative to meat but this was our meatless for the week.

Ingredients:

Serves 4

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
  
• 8 ounces ziti rigate (I used rigatoni)
  
• 1 cup part-skim ricotta
  
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  
• 3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
  
• 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
  
• 1 jar (24 to 26 ounces) tomato sauce (about 3 1/2 cups) I LOVE Classico Brand, Spicy Tomato Basil
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions; drain and reserve.
   
2. In a small bowl, combine ricotta, egg, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and half the mozzarella; season with salt and pepper.
   
3. In the bottom of a shallow 2-quart casserole dish, spread half the tomato sauce. Top with ziti, then ricotta mixture and remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and remaining mozzarella. Place casserole on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until top is browned and sauce is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes.
   
4. Meanwhile, prepare garlic bread: Make deep, even cuts into the bread, about 1/2 inch apart, without cutting through the bottom. In a small bowl, combine butter and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Brush garlic butter between cuts in bread. Wrap bread loosely in aluminum foil, and bake with ziti during last 10 minutes of baking.
   
5. Serve with your favorite salad!