Cheesy Baked Ziti
Ingredients
Ricotta Mixture + Cheese:
- 1 ½ cups (340 g) ricotta cheese, (whole milk, part skim, or homemade)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 3 cups (340 g) shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 ½ cups (85 g) grated Parmesan cheese
Ziti + Sauce:
- 1 ½ pounds (680 g) uncooked ziti noodles
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, more to taste, if desired
- 2 cans (28-ounces each) crushed tomatoes
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- For the ricotta mixture, in a small bowl, mix together the ricotta, 2 tablespoons oil, salt and pepper.
- In another bowl (or bag), toss together the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
- For the ziti noodles, bring about 6 quarts or so of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the pasta and a tablespoon of salt and cook, stirring to break up any clumps, until the noodles just begin to soften, 5-6 minutes. Before draining, reserve 1 1/2 cups of the cooking water in a bowl; drain the pasta and set aside.
- For the sauce, quickly dry out the now-empty pot (no need to wash), add the olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes, and cook over medium heat until fragrant but not browned, 1-2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring every now and again. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Off the heat, stir in the reserved pasta water and the cooked and drained pasta into the sauce, breaking up clumps of pasta and coating evenly.
- Transfer half of the pasta to a 9X13-inch baking dish. Dollop large spoonfuls of the ricotta mixture over the mixture (won't cover it completely, just dot the top). Spread the remaining pasta over the ricotta.
- Sprinkle the mozzarella/Parmesan mixture over the top.
- Place the baking dish on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet (to catch any bubbling over) and bake until golden and bubbly, 25-35 minutes. Let the ziti cool for 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh basil and serve.
Notes
Ricotta: here is my favorite homemade ricotta.
Cheese: if you want more cheese factor throughout, sprinkle half of the mozz/Parm mixture over the top of the ricotta before layering on the 2nd half of the pasta.
Freezable: prepare the recipe through step #8. Cover the dish tightly in plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil. Refrigerate for 24 hours or freeze for up to a month. To bake, thaw the ziti overnight in the refrigerator. Unwrap the casserole (both the plastic wrap and the foil) and recover with lightly greased aluminum foil; bake on a foil-lined baking sheet at 400 degrees until heated through, 20-25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the cheese is golden on top, 15-20 more minutes. Sprinkle with basil and serve.