The Reinvented Baked Ziti

Yesterday was just one of those good days.

When you wake up feeling super sunny after a good nights sleep (even with a new baby!) and you get good news throughout the day (like my French Toast being featured in the Today Show's weekly newsletter and that your mom is on the mend and going home soon) and you get to take the day at a slow pace and end it with some of your best friends who you haven't seen in months and enjoy good, good food.

Yes, one of those lovely days.

Thanking the Lord for a soul refresher for sure. After a week of stress at work and my mom being in the hospital, it was just what we needed. 

Mr. Charming and I adore the couple we had over for our Friday Night Dinner last night. Our friends Karly and Zach and their adorable kiddos no longer live in AZ and we miss them terribly and soak in every moment we get to hang out with them. Karly and I have been friends for years. Before marriage. Before babies. And they are just those people who you just want to hug and beg to move back every time you see them because you just love doing life with them and love seeing their kiddos grow. 

Yes, friends like that. 

Friends like that, I've found as I get older, are harder and harder to come by, which is why nights like last night are so very special.

And speaking of special, I wanted to cook them something SUPER yum to warm our bellies as we let the kiddos play and caught up on what was going on in our lives. I TOTALLY meant to get photos of the evening, but we were having too much fun and the food was just too good and so after snapping photos of the food post-enjoyment, the cameras and phones were pushed aside and we just enjoyed.

Which I believe needs to happen in social situations more often. I don't even think I knew where my phone was all night. Which was a very refreshing break for me. 

Their family eats like we do (gluten-free, dairy-free and clean) so it was easy to know that the ingredients I use are the same foods they eat at home. I was going to go easy at first and whip up a big pot of spaghetti, but then I found gluten-free breadcrumbs and vegan cheese, thus birthing my Reinvented Baked Ziti. SO good. 

I made food enough to feed an army. You should see how much we had leftover, haha. So I cut my recipe in half to make a more normal family dinner amount. Just double it if, you too, want a truckload of ziti to feed your family for a week. 

Ingredients:

• 1 Bag of Gluten-Free Penne or Rotini (Penne is traditional, we opted for Rotini for tiny hands)
• 1 lb. Organic Ground Turkey
• 1 Jar Organic Pasta Sauce (more if you like it extra saucy)
• 1/2 package of Daiya Mozzerella Shreds
• 2/3 C. Gluten-Free Panko Breadcrumbs
• Fresh Basil
• Sea Salt 
• Olive Oil 
• Minced Garlic

Directions: 
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• Brown turkey in a pan with minced garlic and sea salt to taste. 
• While meat is browning, bring water to a boil for pasta. Add a small amount of olive oil to the water to help keep the noodles slick. (I know this is an Italian no-no, but it helps keep the pasta slick to not stick together in the bake)
• Once meat is browned, set aside and warm sauce. Cook pasta per package directions in a LARGE pot and drain.
• Brown bread crumbs with 1 TBSP. of olive oil in a small sauce pan and set aside. 
• Add meat, sauce and fresh basil leaves, 2/3 of your Daiya Mozzerella shreds and drained pasta back into large pot and mix. 
• Add mixture to a large baking dish and top with remaining cheese shreds and browned bread crumbs. 
• Heat under broiler on low until cheese is melted and breadcrumbs are toasty. 
• Serve immediately with a spring mix salad, wine or sparkling water.