# Components:
→ Pasta
01 - 8 oz ziti or rigatoni pasta
→ Sauce
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 14 oz canned crushed tomatoes
05 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
06 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
07 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
→ Cheese Mixture
08 - 1 cup ricotta cheese
09 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
10 - 1 large egg
11 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (optional)
12 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
→ Assembly
13 - 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
14 - Nonstick cooking spray
# Preparation steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly coat a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
02 - Cook ziti in a large pot of boiling salted water until just al dente. Drain and allow to cool slightly.
03 - Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in crushed tomatoes, Italian herbs, salt, and black pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from heat.
04 - In a bowl, combine ricotta, Parmesan, egg, fresh basil (if using), and salt. Blend until smooth.
05 - In a large bowl, mix drained pasta with half of the tomato sauce and half of the mozzarella. Toss to evenly coat.
06 - Divide half of the pasta mixture evenly into muffin cups. Top each with a spoonful of the cheese mixture, then add remaining pasta mixture. Spoon remaining tomato sauce over each cup and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.
07 - Bake for 20–25 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Let stand in the pan for 5 minutes before loosening each cup with a knife and removing.
08 - Serve warm, optionally garnished with additional fresh basil.
