When I was still a college student, one of my favorite dining hall dishes was baked ziti. Something about the mild tomato sauce and dense pasta, topped with cheese was just fantastic in the middle of the finals rush. Carbohydrates are good for the brain, and good for the soul too. 
However the thought of so many pots and pans to wash, and lengthy oven time makes me disinclined to make my own baked ziti.
This recipe for absorption pasta is just as tomato-y, cheese-y, takes requires only one pan and no oven time. I also love fresh vegetables in my pasta, but feel free to add your favorites, or remove the veggies you don’t like.
Ingredients:
Pasta:
- 200g (little less than 1/2 lb) ground beef (pork or turkey would also be good, as would soy crumbles)
- 2 cups uncooked pasta (I like macaroni elbows or shells, but any pasta is fine)
- 1 fresh tomato, seeded and diced
- 1 cup tomato sauce or canned crushed tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 medium eggplant, diced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 bell pepper, roasted sweet in the broiler or oven, and then chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
- 1 bunch of fresh spinach (about 1 cup’s worth cooked)
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp each garlic powder, black pepper, parsley, basil and oregano
- dash of salt
- 1 cup water
Topping
- 1/2 cup smooth dry curd cottage cheese(or ricotta)
- 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan or Peccorino hard cheese
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1. Saute ground beef, garlic, and onions in a large sauce pan with olive oil until the meat is cooked, and slightly browned.
2. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, eggplant, mushrooms, bell pepper, spinach, water, all the spices and salt. Stir well and bring to a slow boil on medium heat.
3. Add pasta, stir well. Cover pan with a lid and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the pasta is just tender (al dente).
4. Combine cottage cheese and shredded Parmesan together until smooth.
5. Uncover, and stir the pasta to make sure it isn’t sticking, then stir in the cheese mixture until well combined.
6. Cover, and cook for an additional 5 minutes on low heat until cheese is melted.
Serves 6-8, topped with a little (or a lot 
) of shredded cheese.
