Baked Ziti with Ricotta
By @kellysalwayscooking
Adapted from Alison Roman
Serves 4
Ingredients:
For sauce:
For cheese filling:
Instructions:
Make the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and season with salt and pepper. Stir occasionally, until onion begins to soften and turn translucent. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds or so. Add tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring until it has turned a deeper dark red color, tinting the oil and onions red, about 2 minutes. Crush the whole tomatoes by hand and add them and their juice as well as the tomato puree/passata to the pot, stirring to scrape up any bits from the bottom. Season with salt and pepper and add red pepper flakes if using. Bring pot to a summer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and flavors come together, 20-30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Prepare the filling. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, heavy cream, and 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Heat oven to 425. Place a large pot of water on the stove to boil. When it comes to a boil, generously salt the water and cook the pasta for only a short time, 2 minutes less than the recommended cooking time. Reserve one cup of the pasta cooking water, and drain the pasta.
Once the tomato sauce is done, stir in the reserved pasta cooking water.
Place the pasta in a large bowl and add 2 cups of sauce. Stir to coat pasta evenly.
Spoon a bit of remaining sauce on the bottom of a 3-quart baking dish and top with 1/3 of the pasta. Spoon 1/3 of the remaining sauce on top, dollop with half of the ricotta mixture, and scatter 1/3 of the fresh mozzarella on top of that. Repeat, beginning with the pasta, one more time. For the final layer, add the last 1/3 of the pasta and the remaining sauce. Dot the top with the remaining mozzarella and the remaining Parmigiano Reggiano. Place the baking dish on top of a baking sheet lined with parchment or foil to catch any drips and bake in the preheated oven and bake until the edges are browned and the cheese is golden and bubbling, 35-40 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.
Adapted from Alison Roman
Serves 4
Ingredients:
For sauce:
- 1/4 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
- 1 24-28 oz can/bottle tomato puree or passata
- 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional, but delicious)
For cheese filling:
- 1 lb ricotta impastata
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 1 lb ziti, rigatoni, penne or other short tubelike pasta
- 1 lb fresh mozzarella, cut or torn into 1/2” pieces
Instructions:
Make the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and season with salt and pepper. Stir occasionally, until onion begins to soften and turn translucent. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds or so. Add tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring until it has turned a deeper dark red color, tinting the oil and onions red, about 2 minutes. Crush the whole tomatoes by hand and add them and their juice as well as the tomato puree/passata to the pot, stirring to scrape up any bits from the bottom. Season with salt and pepper and add red pepper flakes if using. Bring pot to a summer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened and flavors come together, 20-30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Prepare the filling. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, heavy cream, and 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Heat oven to 425. Place a large pot of water on the stove to boil. When it comes to a boil, generously salt the water and cook the pasta for only a short time, 2 minutes less than the recommended cooking time. Reserve one cup of the pasta cooking water, and drain the pasta.
Once the tomato sauce is done, stir in the reserved pasta cooking water.
Place the pasta in a large bowl and add 2 cups of sauce. Stir to coat pasta evenly.
Spoon a bit of remaining sauce on the bottom of a 3-quart baking dish and top with 1/3 of the pasta. Spoon 1/3 of the remaining sauce on top, dollop with half of the ricotta mixture, and scatter 1/3 of the fresh mozzarella on top of that. Repeat, beginning with the pasta, one more time. For the final layer, add the last 1/3 of the pasta and the remaining sauce. Dot the top with the remaining mozzarella and the remaining Parmigiano Reggiano. Place the baking dish on top of a baking sheet lined with parchment or foil to catch any drips and bake in the preheated oven and bake until the edges are browned and the cheese is golden and bubbling, 35-40 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.
