Home Plates: Baked ziti even better the next day (2024)

Are there some dishes you actually love more as leftovers?

My family makes a quick and easy baked pasta dish that I enjoy for dinner but absolutely love for lunch the next day. With its layers of meat sauce and cheesy pasta, it’s somehow more comforting and satisfying when I settle in to enjoy it after a morning’s work.

But whether it constitutes dinner or leftovers, the dish is simply constructed and easily altered to suit your tastes. In fact, a confession is in order. I believe this recipe was originally from Weight Watchers, but the healthier version was simply too Spartan to enjoy. We use more beef and cheese than the original called for, and have tinkered with it in other ways over the years.

Given a small window of time on a harried weeknight, I appreciate that I can assemble this basic casserole and get a couple of meals in return. Best of all, I usually have all or almost all of the ingredients on hand. If I don’t have an onion, no worries. The original recipe didn’t call for onion. I can substitute ground turkey for the beef, or penne for the ziti. I might add some chopped green or red bell pepper, if I find one in the fridge. I’ve seen versions of baked ziti that include layers of sour cream and Provolone, and that sounds worth trying — so long as it doesn’t take a special trip to the supermarket.

Now I’m wondering if you have favorite dishes like our baked ziti: easy to prepare, easy to adjust, depending on what you have on hand, and even better for lunch the next day.

Second helpings

Patricia Brand wants to try the apple cookie recipe that ran in last week’s column, but she wonders which type of apple will work best. “There are so many different kinds on the market now. Some are more dry, some have more moisture in them, some are more crisp, some are soft,” she says, “and they all have a distinctly different flavor. Could you give me just a few types to choose from, please?”

When you consider both the plenitude of apple varieties available and personal preference, it can be overwhelming to know which to choose. More often than not, I settle on Granny Smith apples when I’m baking. Partly, it’s because I enjoy their mouth-puckering tartness and the way they keep their shape. But it’s also because I don’t have to think too much. Making a crisp? Grab some Granny Smiths.

I also like to bake with Romes, which aren’t quite as tart as the green Granny Smiths but hold their shape nicely. Soft apples turn quickly to mush when you bake. But I know I should be a little more adventurous and try other varieties. Jonagolds and Gravensteins are also supposed to hold up well in baking.

If I’m making apple cookies, I’ll probably go ahead and finely chop some Romes because I like a firmer texture. But the cookies don’t bake as long as a crisp or pie, so a softer apple likely would work just fine.

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Originally Published: October 24, 2011 at 7:31 a.m.