Make Baked Ziti

Baked ziti is a hearty, Italian pasta dish that's a riff on classic lasagna. It's perfect for a chilly fall or winter night, or for leftovers on a warm summer afternoon. Instead of flat noodles, this dish incorporates ziti, a tubular form of pasta that's like penne. Although the process of baking pasta sounds a little intimidating, making baked ziti is actually quite easy. Here's how to make a mouth-watering dish for you or your family.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ziti pasta
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 pound lean ground beef (optional)
  • 2 jars Tomato Sauce, 26 oz. each
  • 6 ounces parmesan cheese, grated
  • 6 ounces mozzarella cheese, plus an entire mozzarella log for topping
  • 1 pound ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Steps

Assembling the Ingredients

  1. Place a pot of salted water on stove, and bring it to a boil.
  2. Add the ziti pasta and cook until just al dente, about 8 minutes. Strain.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350° F (177° C).
  4. In large saucepan, heat olive oil on medium and begin to brown onion and ground beef at the same time. If not using ground beef, brown onion in the olive oil on its own. (Ziti tastes remarkably good even without meat.)
  5. Once the onion and meat is browned, add both jars (52 oz.) of pasta sauce to the saucepan. When the sauce is bubbling, turn the heat down to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
  6. In a separate bowl, mix together one whole egg and the ricotta cheese. Mix until deliciously creamy.
  7. Toss al dente ziti and ricotta mixture together in a bowl. Set aside.

Layering the Ziti

  1. Take a 9x13" baking dish and begin the layering process by coating the bottom generously with pasta sauce.
  2. Next, take the pasta/ricotta mixture and create another layer. Don't add too much pasta to a single layer; you'll have at least one other layer to add before baking.
  3. Next, add a layer of parmesan and mozzarella cheese. Mix both cheeses together and spread over pasta.
  4. Finish the layer with a sprinkling of dried oregano and dried basil.
  5. Repeat layers until all ingredients have been used, excepting the mozzarella brick.
  6. Slice the mozzarella brick into thick pieces and cover the top of the ziti with sliced mozzarella.
  7. Bake for 30 minutes, until cheese has thoroughly melted and slightly browned.
  8. Serve.



Tips

  • Aim to get the pasta "al dente" perfected.
  • You're not limited to Make Spaghetti Sauce Using Parmesan Cheese, use whatever sauce you like.
  • Try not to over-boil, or the pasta will be very weak, and will tear very easily.

Warnings

  • Don't burn yourself.
  • Always use safety measures around the kitchen stove.

Things You'll Need

  • Pot
  • Large Spoon
  • Stove
  • Strainer

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Sources and Citations

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