Baked Ziti Plus Food

BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Boil ziti, following package directions, drain and place in a large bowl.
• Mix all the ricotta cheese and half of the mozzarella with the ziti.
• Spray a 13x9 pan with Pam.
• Cover the bottom half of the pan with about half the sauce.
• Put the ziti mixture on top of sauce.
• Pour remaining sauce on top of ziti.
• Sprinkle with the parmesan cheese.
• Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
• Bake for 20-30 minutes until cheese is melted and it is lightly golden.

BAKED ZITI WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES

Steps:

• To roast the veggies: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit with racks in the middle and upper third of the oven. Line two large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent the vegetables from sticking.
• Place the cauliflower florets on one pan. On the other pan, combine the bell peppers and onion. Drizzle half of the olive oil over one pan, and the other half over the other pan. Sprinkle the salt over the two pans. Gently toss until the vegetables on each pan are lightly coated in oil.
• Arrange the vegetables in an even layer across each pan. Bake until the vegetables are tender and caramelized on the edges, about 30 to 35 minutes, tossing the veggies and swapping their rack positions halfway (lower rack to upper rack, and vice versa). Leave the oven on at 425, because we're going to bake the dish at the same temperature. If you end up with any stray burnt onion pieces, discard them, and set the vegetables aside.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta just until al dente, according to package directions (it will continue to cook while it bakes in the oven, so you want the pasta to still have a little bite to it). Drain and return the pasta to the pot.
• Add 2 cups of the marinara, the chopped basil, and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella to the pasta. Gently stir to combine.
• It's assembly time! Spread 1 cup of additional marinara sauce inside a 9×13″ baker. Top with half of the pasta mixture, and gently spread it into an even layer. Evenly sprinkle the roasted cauliflower on top, then dollop 1 cup of the cottage cheese over the cauliflower (it doesn't need to be spread into an even layer), followed by 1/2 cup of the mozzarella.
• Top the mozzarella with the remaining pasta. Then sprinkle the roasted peppers and onion on top, dollop the remaining cup of ricotta on top, then dollop the remaining cup of marinara on that, then sprinkle the remaining cheese all over.
• Place a clean, rimmed baking sheet on the lower oven rack to catch any drippings. Place the ziti, uncovered, on top of the baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, then transfer to the upper rack for 2 to 5 more minutes until the cheese is deeply golden, if desired.
• Remove the baker from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes before serving (trust me). Sprinkle freshly torn basil on top, slice with a sharp knife, and serve.

BAKED ZITI I

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.
• In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
• Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.

BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously and boil the pasta until al dente (tender but still slightly firm). Drain.
• Toss the cooked pasta with the quick tomato sauce, cubed mozzarella, half the Parmesan, all of the black pepper and crushed red pepper in a large bowl. Transfer the pasta to the prepared baking dish. Cover the top of the pasta with the sliced mozzarella and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Bake until lightly browned and hot, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.
• Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook the sausage until beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the onion and garlic, stirring, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes more. Add the tomatoes and the herb sprigs and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
• Remove and discard the herb sprigs. Stir in 2 teaspoons salt and season with pepper. Use now or store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.

BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions and saute until starting to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the ground beef and sausage and cook until browned. Drain off almost all of the fat, leaving a bit behind for flavor and moisture. Add the tomato sauce, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and some salt and pepper. Stir, bring to a simmer and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove 3 to 4 cups of the cooked sauce to a bowl to cool down.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add some salt. Cook the ziti until not quite al dente.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a bowl, mix 2 cups of the grated mozzarella, the ricotta, Parmesan, parsley, eggs and some salt and pepper. Stir together just a couple of times (do not mix completely).
• Drain the pasta and rinse under cool water to stop the cooking and cool it down. Pour it into the bowl with the cheese mixture and toss to slightly combine (there should still be large lumps). Add the cooled reserved meat sauce and toss to combine.
• Add half the coated pasta to a large casserole dish or lasagna dish. Spoon half of the remaining sauce over the top, then top with half the remaining mozzarella. Repeat with another layer of the coated pasta and the remaining sauce and mozzarella.
• Bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before sprinkling with chopped parsley to serve.

BAKED ZITI PLUS

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a stockpot over medium-low heat; cook and stir garlic in the hot oil until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir beef in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes; drain and discard grease. Stir ground beef into garlic. Add crushed tomatoes and tomato puree to ground beef mixture; season with salt and pepper. Cover stockpot and simmer mixture, stirring occasionally, until flavors have blended, about 2 hours.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook sausage links in the hot skillet until browned and not longer pink in the center, 10 to 15 minutes; drain and discard grease. Slice sausages into 1/4-inch rounds. Stir sausage, green bell pepper, and onion into the simmering tomato sauce; cook, stirring occasionally until bell pepper and onion are softened, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook rigatoni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, 10 to 11 minutes. Drain and return rigatoni to pot.
• Dice about 3/4 the mozzarella into 1/8-inch cubes. Mix cubed mozzarella with ricotta cheese in a bowl. Stir cheese mixture into cooked rigatoni until mozzarella cheese begins to melt. Pour rigatoni-cheese mixture into 2 large casserole dishes; add tomato-meat sauce. Toss well.
• Slice the remaining mozzarella cheese and arrange on top of rigatoni mixtures.
• Bake in the preheated oven until mozzarella cheese is melted and browned, about 45 minutes.

DELICIOUSLY CHEESY BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
• Cook ziti according to package directions; drain; set aside.
• Mix ricotta, egg, parsley, 1-1/2 cups of the mozarella cheese, and parmesan cheese in a large bowl.
• Mix cooked sausage and pasta in with ricotta mixture.
• Mix in 3/4 jar of sauce.
• Transfer mixture into a 2 quart casserole dish.
• Top with the rest of the sauce and mozarella cheese.
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
• To freeze: Cover dish with foil and freeze. When frozen you can pop it out of the container and put in a freezer bag if desired.
• To heat: Thaw. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10-15 minutes more.

BAKED ZITI WITH SPINACH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• In a stock pot, bring salted water to a boil and add ziti. Cook to al dente according to package directions. Drain well.
• In a large bowl (or the stock pot used to prepare your pasta), add cooked ziti, spinach, and marinara sauce. Toss to coat and set aside.
• In a separate bowl, add ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and half of your mozzarella cheese. Stir to combine.
• In a 9x13 baking dish, add half of your ziti mixture and spread into an even layer. Next, add all of your ricotta mixture and spread into an even layer. Top with remaining ziti mixture. Sprinkle top of casserole evenly with reserved mozzarella cheese.
• Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted across the top and casserole is bubbling around the edges.

BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Cook ziti and set aside
• On medium heat cook beef, onion, and garlic until beef is browned
• Stir in sauces and oregano, and keep on heat until mixture starts to boil
• Combine 1 cup of beef/sauce mixture with cooked ziti
• Spoon in ½ of ziti mixture into a large baking dish
• Top with ricotta and 1 cup of mozzarella and 1 cup of sauce
• Spoon in the rest of the ziti mixture and top with the rest of the sauce
• Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes
• Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and remaining mozzarella
• Bake uncovered for 10 minutes

BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Preheat the Oven - Set the oven rack to the middle position and the temperature to 375°F (190ºC).
• Cook the Pasta - In a large dutch oven or pot, bring water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and stir to dissolve. Add in the ziti. Cook it according to package directions until al dente, about 9 to 10 minutes. Drain in a colander, and rinse with cool water for about 30 seconds to immediately stop the cooking process. Separate them with a spoon so they do not stick together. Leave some moisture on the surface and set it aside.
• Brown the Sausage - Heat olive oil in the dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the sausage. Break into smaller pieces, and cook until browned, about 4 to 5 minutes.
• Cook the Aromatics - Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the onion, garlic, and 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning. Sauté until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes.
• Add the Tomatoes - Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Stir and simmer for 10 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Reserve 2 cups of the meat sauce.
• Sauce the Pasta - Add the ziti to the meat sauce and stir to combine. Set aside.
• Make the Cheese Mixture - In a medium-sized bowl, stir together ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, ¼ cup parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, parsley, and egg.
• Layer the Casserole - In a 13-inch by 9-inch baking dish add half of the pasta. Evenly dollop with half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Spread half of the reserved meat sauce on top. Add the remaining pasta on top, followed by the ricotta cheese mixture and the remaining meat sauce. Evenly sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup of parmesan cheese on top.
• Bake - Loosely cover the baking dish with greased foil so that it does not touch the pasta. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the cheese is melted and lightly golden brown, about 15 minutes.
• Serve - If desired, garnish with chopped parsley and parmesan cheese.

THE BEST BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Cut down the length of each sausage with a sharp knife. Remove and discard casings.
• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan set over high heat. Add sausages and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up with a spatula, until the sausage begins to brown, and the onion turns translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add oregano, thyme, and rosemary and cook for 1 minute more. Pour in marinara sauce. Pour 1 cup water into each jar to rinse out remaining sauce; add to the saucepan. Stir together and bring sauce to a simmer.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low, and let simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed. Turn off heat and reserve until needed. Before using, skim any excess fat that rises to the surface.
• While sauce simmers, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add ziti and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 or 2 minutes less than the directions on the package call for, about 8 minutes. Drain well and transfer into a large mixing bowl.
• Carefully add the meat sauce and stir until thoroughly combined. Let rest for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a large 9x15-inch or 9x13-inch casserole dish with a drizzle of olive oil.
• Use a slotted spoon to transfer half of the pasta and sauce mixture to the prepared dish, then use a spatula to even out into a uniform layer. Top with 1/2 of the ricotta cheese, 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese, and then 1/2 of the grated Pecorino Romano cheese, being sure to distribute evenly. Top with the rest of the pasta and sauce mixture and give the pan a little shake to settle the sauce. Repeat the cheese application.
• Bake in the center of the preheated oven until the cheese is melted and the casserole is piping hot, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Top with parsley.

CROCK POT BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Spray entire slow cooker insert with non-stick spray.
• In large bowl, mix ricotta with two eggs, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, basil, salt and pepper.
• Cover bottom of slow cooker with sauce.
• Layer pasta on top of sauce.
• Take 5 scoops of the ricotta mixture drop onto sauce.
• Top with a layer of mozzarella cheese.
• Repeat steps 3-5 two more times.
• End with layer of sauce, mozzarella and parmesan.
• Cook on high for 2 1/2 hours.
• Serve with grated parmesan cheese on top.

CLASSIC BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Brown the sausage in a large skillet or pot over medium heat, until it's brown and crispy on the edges (pork sausage contains a lot of fat, so I didn't add any extra to the skillet).
• While the sausage is browning, finely dice the onion. Add the onion to the skillet once the sausage has browned, and continue to sauté over medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent.
• Add the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and ½ cup water to the skillet with the sausage and stir to combine. Place a lid on the skillet and allow it to come up to a simmer. Once simmering, turn the heat down and allow it to continue to simmer while you cook the ziti. Stir the sauce occasionally as it simmers.
• After getting the sauce started, begin the ziti. Bring a large pot of water with ½ Tbsp salt to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add the ziti, and let it continue to boil until the ziti is tender (about 7-8 minutes). Drain the ziti in a colander. Shake the colander a bit to shake excess water out of the pasta.
• While the pasta and sauce are cooking, prepare the cheese filling. Add the ricotta, Italian cheese blend, and some freshly cracked black pepper (about 10 cranks of a pepper mill) to a bowl and stir to combine. Begin to preheat the oven to 350ºF.
• After draining the ziti, return it to the pot and add 1 cup of the red sauce. Stir to coat the cooked pasta in sauce.
• Pour half of the ziti to a 9x13" baking dish. Add half of the ricotta mixture on top of the ziti in small dollops. Finally, spoon half of the red sauce and sausage over the pasta and ricotta. It's okay if the ingredients don't cover in a solid layer. Repeat these layers with the second half of the pasta, ricotta mixture, and sauce. Finally, top with 2 cups shredded mozzarella.
• Cover the baking dish with foil, making sure it's slightly tented so that it doesn't touch or stick to the melted cheese. Transfer the covered casserole to the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
• After baking for 20 minutes, remove the foil, and turn the oven on to broil (keep the casserole on the middle rack, about 10-12 inches from the broiler). Broil for 5 minutes, or just until the cheese is slightly browned. Keep a close eye on the baked ziti as it broils, because broilers can vary in intensity. Top with chopped parsley, if desired, then serve.

BEST BAKED ZITI EVER

Steps:

• Pour olive oil into a large, deep skillet, over medium-high heat. Add in ground beef and brown, 5 minutes. Add in diced onions, and mushrooms (optional). Saute for 5 to 7 minutes until onions are soft and translucent, and ground beef is cooked through.
• Add in garlic and tomato paste and toast for 2 minutes. Pour in crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Stir in basil, oregano, salt, and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until pasta is ready.
• Cook pasta in boiling water, according to package directions. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Prepare the cheese topping in a small mixing bowl by combining cream cheese, ricotta, and parmesan. Mix together until smooth.
• Once the pasta is done, add it into the meat sauce and stir to combine. Pour it into a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Spread cheese mixture on top of the pasta.
• Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve hot.

EXTRA CHEESY BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Combine canned tomatoes and their juices, basil, garlic, salt, pepper and the mascarpone cheese in a blender or food processor. (A food mill will also work.) Blend until the basil and garlic are chopped into tiny bits and the sauce is well mixed. Taste and adjust with additional salt as needed. Set aside.
• Heat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (if your oven runs hot, reduce this to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.)
• Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, add the pasta, and then cook for about half of the recommended cook time on the package (5 or 6 minutes). Save 1/2 cup of the pasta water, drain the pasta, and then place it back into the pot. Undercooking the pasta makes sure that it does not overcook when baked with the sauce in the oven.
• In a medium bowl, toss the mozzarella, Fontina and Pecorino Romano cheese together.
• Add the sauce, 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water and three-quarters of the shredded cheese mix to the pot with pasta. Stir well. The mixture should look a bit thin, if it seems thick, add a splash more of the reserved pasta water.
• Transfer the ziti mixture to a large baking dish and top with the remaining shredded cheese mix. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted and golden brown on top. Allow the baked ziti to cool for 5 minutes before serving.