Actually, I didn’t use Ziti, I used Orzo. I didn’t use spinach, I used chard. I didn’t use frozen corn, I used mixed frozen veggies. I didn’t use mushrooms, I used mushroom spaghetti sauce. I didn’t use bell peppers. And, I didn’t feel like measuring because I was in a guess and go with it kind of mood. Anyway, the recipe I loosely based it on was: Slim-Fast Optima: baked ziti with vegetables, however, it isn’t their fault.
Well, some of it is. I mean, honestly, why does it have to use so many pots and pans? And boiling spaghetti sauce splatters everywhere. Grumble. However the sloshyness was due to my excess variation from the measured amounts. Also, ziti pasta might have given it more of a structure.
Despite all of that, it actually was quite edible. I like the flavor of chard in casseroles. If you don’t, don’t use it. The recipe seems very forgiving of my variations, actually. Too bad the zucchini were a little squishy. I bet they would have been good in it. And the carrots didn’t cook long enough. They were still quite crunchy.
All in all, it was a success, though a bit messy.
