Baked Ziti with Winter Tomato Sauce
By @kellysalwayscooking
Adapted from The Splendid Table
Serves 4
Winter Tomato Sauce
(can be made up to 4 days before serving; cool, cover, and store in refrigerator)
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Make the winter tomato sauce. If you make this in advance, the dish is much quicker to put together. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a heavy saucepan. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and parsley. Slowly saute, stirring often, about ten minutes, until they are golden brown.
Add the garlic, sage, rosemary, and tomato paste and cook only for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and their juices, crushing them by hand as you add them. Bring to a lively bubble and cook over medium-high heat, uncovered, for about eight minutes, until thickened. Season to taste.
Mushrooms
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Prepare the mushrooms. In a 12-inch skillet, heat the three tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high high. Add the mushrooms and the parsley, and cook uncovered, stirring frequently, until they start to give off some juices, about three minutes. Continue sautéing, turning often, about 8 minutes, until the mushrooms are golden brown and liquid has evaporated. Season to taste and set aside.
Finished Sauce & Pasta
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water generously, and boil the pasta for only 30 seconds. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water and drain the pasta. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the Winter Tomato Sauce, cream, and peas. Stir to combine. Fold the pasta and the Parmigiano-Reggiano into the sauce.
Use the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to coat the bottom and sides of a large shallow baking dish. Spread half of the pasta in the baking dish. Spoon all of the mushrooms over the pasta. Sprinkle half of the Pecorino Romano over the mushrooms. Cover with the remaining pasta, and top with the remaining Pecorino Romano.
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out warm. Remove the foil and bake another 5-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted but not yet browned.
Adapted from The Splendid Table
Serves 4
Winter Tomato Sauce
(can be made up to 4 days before serving; cool, cover, and store in refrigerator)
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 1 small carrot, peeled and minced
- 1 small stalk celery with the leaves, minced
- 3 tablespoons minced flat leaf parsley
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 2-3 fresh sage leaves, chopped
- 1-inch sprig rosemary, leaves removed and roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon concentrated Italian tomato paste
- 1 28-oz can best-quality whole tomatoes
- salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions:
Make the winter tomato sauce. If you make this in advance, the dish is much quicker to put together. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a heavy saucepan. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and parsley. Slowly saute, stirring often, about ten minutes, until they are golden brown.
Add the garlic, sage, rosemary, and tomato paste and cook only for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and their juices, crushing them by hand as you add them. Bring to a lively bubble and cook over medium-high heat, uncovered, for about eight minutes, until thickened. Season to taste.
Mushrooms
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb small fresh button mushrooms, quartered
- 3 tablespoons minced flat leaf parsley
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
Instructions:
Prepare the mushrooms. In a 12-inch skillet, heat the three tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high high. Add the mushrooms and the parsley, and cook uncovered, stirring frequently, until they start to give off some juices, about three minutes. Continue sautéing, turning often, about 8 minutes, until the mushrooms are golden brown and liquid has evaporated. Season to taste and set aside.
Finished Sauce & Pasta
Ingredients:
- Winter Tomato Sauce from above
- 1/2 cup cream
- 1 1/3 cup petite frozen peas
- 1 lb fresh ziti
- 2 oz grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 6 oz Pecorino Romano
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water generously, and boil the pasta for only 30 seconds. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water and drain the pasta. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the Winter Tomato Sauce, cream, and peas. Stir to combine. Fold the pasta and the Parmigiano-Reggiano into the sauce.
Use the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to coat the bottom and sides of a large shallow baking dish. Spread half of the pasta in the baking dish. Spoon all of the mushrooms over the pasta. Sprinkle half of the Pecorino Romano over the mushrooms. Cover with the remaining pasta, and top with the remaining Pecorino Romano.
Cover the dish with foil and bake for 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out warm. Remove the foil and bake another 5-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted but not yet browned.
