Baked Ziti
In it’s simplest form baked ziti is a great dish. It can be expanded to include all sorts of meats and cheeses making this, the dish you can customize on your own and make a family tradition.
This recipe for baked ziti goes back many years to when I worked in a bowling alley. The rather crusty old cook use to make big pans of ziti for the end of season catering parties for the different leagues. It was my first introduction to ziti and I loved it. Years later when I began to cook I tried to replicate it but could never quite get it right. I tried all sorts of recipes adding meatballs, sausage, ricotta, layering it with cheese like a lasagna but none of them came close until one day by mistake I spilled a cup of Parmesan into the sauce. That’s all it took,it was the very cheesy sauce added to the cooked pasta and mixed,letting those flavors soak into the pasta that was the key. It was really that simple.
Ingredients for Baked Ziti
- 1 lb. Ziti
- 3-4 cups (approximate) of your favorite tomato sauce
- 1-2 cups Parmesan cheese
- 12 oz. (approximate) shredded Mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup salt (approximate for boiling pasta)
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions for Baked Ziti
In a stock pot large enough to cook the ziti add sufficient salt to create a very salty water solution. Cook the pasta to an ‘AL Dente” state.
Drain the ziti, place into a large bowl add 1-2 cups of the sauce and the Parmesan and stir to combine. Continue to add sauce until the pasta is coated but not very wet. Taste, add salt and pepper and more cheese if necessary. Add about 1/2 the mozzarella and stir to combine. Pour into a 9 X 13 inch pan and level.
Ladle more sauce over the top to cover the pasta and prevent it drying up while baking, and then spread the remaining mozzarella over the top.
Cover with foil. Bake at 375º for about 45 minutes until hot. remove foil for the last 5 minutes to allow the cheese to melt and brown lightly.
When cooked remove from the oven and let rest for about 5 minutes. Serve with a salad and extra sauce on side for those who like it wetter.
You can spice it up by adding thinly sliced grilled italian sausages or sliced meatballs to the ziti.
Here are a few items to help make this recipe:
Pyrex Basics 3 Quart Glass Oblong Baking Dish, Clear 9 x 13 inch
OXO Good Grips Box Grater
Extra Wide Spatula Turner, Heat-Resistant Nylon Pancake Grill Spatula Turner, Stainless Steel Neck, Cool-Touch Handle
I think it would be 100 % better with sausage or meatballs but it still was quite tasty! 5 paws but next time a litlle meat wouldn’t kill you!
- 1 lb. Ziti
- 3-4 cups (approximate) of your favorite tomato sauce
- 1-2 cups Parmesan cheese
- 12 oz. (approximate) shredded Mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup salt (approximate for boiling pasta)
- salt and pepper to taste
- In a stock pot large enough to cook the ziti add sufficient salt to create a very salty water solution. Cook the pasta to an 'AL Dente" state.
- Drain the ziti, place into a large bowl add 1-2 cups of the sauce and the Parmesan and stir to combine. Continue to add sauce until the pasta is coated but not very wet. Taste, add salt and pepper and more cheese if necessary. Add about 1/2 the mozzarella and stir to combine. Pour into a 9 X 13 inch pan and level.
- Ladle more sauce over the top to cover the pasta and prevent drying up while baking, and then spread the remaining mozzarella over the top.
- Cover with foil. Bake at 375º for about 45 minutes until hot. remove foil for the last 5 minutes to allow the cheese to melt and brown lightly.
- When cooked remove from the oven and let rest for about 5 minutes. Serve with a salad and extra sauce on side for those who like it wetter.
- You can spice it up by adding thinly sliced grilled italian sausages or sliced meatballs to the ziti.
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