Italy
Baked Ziti
Baked ziti is a type of casserole in Italian-American cuisine.
Ziti belongs to the same southern Italian tradition as lasagna, in a ridged tube pasta chosen so it holds chunky sauce instead of merely clinging to it. The tubes go into the oven rather than being boiled and sauced separately, so the dish has to be built in layers and left to stand before it is served. Resting lets the crumb set and the sauce stop running, so a portion holds together on the plate.
Ingredients
- (450 g) ziti or other pasta1 lb
- (360 ml) marinara sauce1.5 cups
- (450 g) grated mozzarella1 lb
- (225 g) ricotta0.5 lb
- (110 g) grated Parmesan cheese4 oz
- egg, beaten1
- basil, chopped fine3 tbsp
- oregano, chopped fine2 tbsp
- Italian parsley, chopped fine3 tbsp
- (120 ml) bread crumbs0.5 cup
- pinch crushed red pepper flakes (optional)1
- SaltTo taste
- PepperTo taste
Directions
- 1
Preheat oven to 425 °F (225 °C). Coat a large baking dish with olive oil.
- 2
Mix ricotta, egg, basil, oregano, parsley and about half of the mozzarella and Parmesan in a large bowl until well incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.
- 3
Cook ziti in a large pot of salted water until al dente. Drain well.
- 4
In a large bowl or pot, toss ziti with marinara sauce and red pepper flakes until noodles are covered. Stir in ricotta mixture and fold until it begins to melt. Pour mixture into greased dish and spread it out with a spoon.
- 5
Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and Parmesan over the top, then sprinkle bread crumbs over cheese.
- 6
Bake at 425 °F (225 °C) for 20 minutes or until cheese on top turns golden and begins to bubble.
Source: Wikibooks Cookbook (English) · CC BY-SA 4.0; English normalized and Chinese translation added by WorldBite.