Baked Ziti

[The Ironic Chef]

I hit search mode for Baked Ziti and was shocked to see that it is mentioned a lot. Even by me. I couldn't find one recipe for it though and thought that I had better contribute.

Ingredients

1 pound of cooked Ziti pasta, under cooked by about two minutes.
1 lb of ricotta cheese
2 16 oz cans of plum tomatoes crushed and with the juices,
1 medium onion diced1 pepper, diced (optional)
4 cloves of garlic, minced fine,
Hot pepper flakes to taste,
2 tbs of olive oil,
1 teaspoon of basil,
1/2 teaspoon of oregano,
Salt and pepper to taste,
One lb of Mozzarella cheese, Shredded.

Directions, saute the garlic and red pepper flakes in the olive oil until you can smell the garlic, do not brown. Add the onions, peppers and cook them down. Add the tomatoes and spices. Taste for seasonings and adjust accordingly to your taste. Let sauce simmer for about five minutes.
Pour the sauce into a large bowl and stir in the pasta and Ricotta. Mix gently to incorporate the ingredients. Taste again for salt and pepper content.
Pour the pasta into a large oiled casserole dish. Top with the Mozzarella cheese and bake in a 400 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until the cheese is a nice golden brown. After removing it from the oven, allow about 10 minutes before cutting into it for the cheese to set.

Variations

Mix 1 egg, a teaspoon of basil, a 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese or the mozzarella cheese, salt and pepper to taste to the ricotta cheese and spread between layers of the pasta. After assembly, top with the rest of the Mozzarella and bake.

Place a layer of egg plant Parmesan between the layers of pasta and ricotta for a Baked Ziti Siciliano. Top with Mozzarella. This is my favorite dish.

Add ground beef, Italian sausage (hot or sweet)or pepperoni to the sauce. Pepperoni can also top the Mozzarella like you would a pizza.

Baked Ziti is one of those comfort foods that you make the way you want. As long as the sauce is decent you can't go wrong. In my opinion, a baked ziti is just an easier version for lasagna.

[cookie]

Mm, sound really Good. Thanks for the recipe. Cookie

[chubbyalaskagriz]

Thanks for posting the recipe, IC! This is one of the all-time BEST go-to Italian feast-foods! EZ to prepare head and re-heat... great to do for a crowd. And versatile, too! Often I add chicken, chunks of smoked sausage, and even a large bag of precooked frozen meatballs when I need to feed a large group. YUM!