Fourth of July = Food, Fun and Sun

There is something to be said for grilling on the Fourth of July, but my favorite meal of the weekend was actually a baked ziti courtesy of my friend Dave Rich. Sure we had hamburgers and hot dogs and chili dogs and pasta salad and potato salad and regular salad (and on and on and on), but this dish really stood out and none of it went to waste.

This dish seemed relatively easy to make with two regular boxes of ziti, two large family size jars of Ragu, a bag of grated mozzarella and parsley flakes. Cook the pasta as you would if you were serving it from the pot and drain. Pour half of the pasta into a disposable aluminum pan with high sides (the kind you would put a Thanksgiving turkey in) and cover with one jar of pasta sauce,  grated cheese and parsley flakes. Then, pour in the rest of the pasta on top and repeat sauce, cheese and parsley mixture. Place in the oven for 30-45 minutes (cheese will be lightly browned) at 350. Do not skimp on the parsley as I feel it really helped make this dish.

This served 12 people, was very easy on the clean up crew and was a hit with everyone. Something to consider for your next group event this summer.