Hold on to your Gabagool, tonight the Phoody is bringing you Baked Ziti!! Any fan of The Sopranos knows Baked Ziti is almost as important as water in any mob boss’ home. Stereotypes aside, this pasta casserole is a perfect example of Italian “family style” dining. Put it together with some crusty bread, a green salad, maybe an antipasti plate and a large bottle of Chianti, and let the chaos begin!
Ziti is like lasagna on the run. It takes much less work for equally satisfying results. I like a little zing to mine and add extra crushed red pepper. We also love it with mushrooms. Go crazy with the cheeses, do some unique layering, tweak the sauce to make it your own. Purists will leave the ricotta in chunks throughout, others will blend it fully. But no matter what unique spin you put on this dish, it will definitely be a hit.
Prep time: 30 minutes
Bake time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. ground beef
- 1 lb. ground sage or Italian sausage
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 6 cloves freshly pressed garlic
- 4 T. olive oil
- 1 container sliced baby Bellas
- 1 jar of your favorite marinara
- 1 can tomato sauce
- 1 can whole peeled tomatoes
- Italian seasoning
- Salt
- Pepper
- Crushed red pepper
- Any other seasonings you want for a good sauce
- 3 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 – 8oz. block cream cheese
- ~6-8 cups high quality mozzerella
- ~4 cups Italian cheese blend (Parmesan, Asiago, Romano)
- Any other cheese you want (Provelone, Gouda etc.)
- Fresh parsley
- 1 lb. ziti pasta
Preparation and baking directions:
1. Bring pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook pasta until slightly less than al dente. The pasta will continue to cook later, so don’t overcompensate here…mushy ziti is a major turnoff. Drain and set aside to cool.
2. In a large skillet or Dutch oven, bring olive oil, garlic, onion and mushrooms to a medium-high heat and simmer until tender.
3. Add meat and sauté until completely brown.
4. Add tomato sauce, marinara, and drained whole tomatoes to the skillet. Mix it us and let it simmer until the whole tomatoes are tender and easy to tear with your spoon.
5. Add seasonings to taste until you reach your desired flavor. Here’s where you really make it your own! Although, a word of caution…you can definitely go to far with your creativity. I’ve made some truly TERRIBLE sauces by getting a little too artistic (chocolate and tomato sauce do NOT go well together in my opinion). The sauce is what makes the dish in the end. Go with simple flavors, and don’t go too crazy with them.
6. Set sauce aside to cool. If you just plan to mix everything well this step isn’t needed. If you want chunks of ricotta throughout, the sauce needs to be at least room temperature before adding to the cheese.
7. In a large mixing bowl, mix ricotta, cream cheese and a good deal of your other cheese blends, making sure to save enough for the top, and any layers you plan for.
8. Mix loosely leaving chunks of ricotta.
9. Slowly add cooled, drained pasta to cheese mixture by gently tossing with a spoon…don’t get carried away now.
10. Once sauce it cooled, ladle at least half of the sauce into the cheese mixture (all if you aren’t layering) and gently mix into the cheese and noodle mixture. Don’t worry if you over-mix…it will still taste great.
11. Pour into lasagna pan. If layering, I suggest a layer of noodles, followed by sauce, followed by Provelone and mozzerella, and repeat. If not layering, dump the entire mix into your pan.
12. Top with a layer of cheese. I used mozzerella, Romano, Asiago, and Parmesan for a nice bubbly brown crust.
13. Put pan in pre-heated 350°F oven, and bake until cheese is bubbly and brown.
14. Once baked, top with some fresh chopped Italian parsley for presentation.
15. Pair with my Breath Bomb Garlic Bread, and a leafy green salad.
16. Sigh deeply, and prepare yourself for the carb coma you are about to enjoy.
– The Phoody
Phooding 