1Cook diced onions in olive oil with a large pinch of salt until softened and lightly browned.
2Push onions to the side or remove, add ground beef, and sear until browned, then break up and combine.
3Add tomato paste and seasonings (coarse kosher salt, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, black pepper) and cook until darkened for 5 minutes.
4Add dry red lentils, beef bone broth, and marinara sauce, bring to a boil.
5Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until lentils are soft and sauce is thickened for about 45-60 minutes.
6Cook ziti in salted water until just al dente, then drain.
7Add cooked pasta to a large foil roaster rack, combine with meat sauce and a cheese mixture of ricotta, cottage cheese, parmesan, and basil, mix thoroughly.
8Top with an additional half jar of marinara sauce and freshly grated mozzarella cheese.
9Place the rack on a sheet pan and bake uncovered at 400 degrees until the cheese is melted and browned, for 20-30 minutes.
10Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
11Split into 15 equally sized servings.
Ingredients
30 g olive oil
2 yellow onions diced
1360 g 96% lean ground beef
170 g tomato paste
1360 g marinara sauce
300 g red lentils dry
900 g beef bone broth
1.5 Tbsp coarse kosher salt
2 Tbsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
2 tsp black pepper
900 g ziti pasta
240 g 2% cottage cheese
240 g part-skim ricotta
50 g Parmigiano Reggiano
1 handful chopped fresh basil
228 g part-skim mozzarella shredded
340 g marinara sauce
Equipment
Large stockpot or Dutch oven (6qt+ recommended)Handi-foil medium foil roaster racksheet pan
Tips
Make sure to taste the meat sauce and the pasta for salt before combining. If either taste bland, adjust salt to taste.
Lentils will retain some texture when cooked in an acidic sauce. If you want them softer, add the tomato sauce after simmering for 30 mins.