Ziti With Chard Food

BAKED RIGATONI WITH SWISS CHARD AND SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs for al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up into pieces, until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the onion and chard stems; cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, oregano, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper.
• Cook, stirring, until thickened, about 4 minutes. Add the chard leaves and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the pasta and 1/4 cup reserved cooking water to the sauce and stir to coat, adding more cooking water as needed to loosen; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a 3-quart baking dish. Dollop spoonfuls of the ricotta on top, then sprinkle with the mozzarella. Broil until golden brown and bubbling, 3 to 5 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with parmesan.

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 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 WITH SPINACH AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Heat heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sausage, onion and garlic and sauté until sausage is cooked through, breaking up meat with back of spoon, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes with juices to pan. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in pesto. Season sauce with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before continuing.)
• Preheat oven to 375° F. Lightly oil 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish. Combine pasta, spinach, mozzarella and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese in large bowl. Stir in hot tomato sauce. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle remaining 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese over. Bake until sauce bubbles and cheeses melt, about 30 minutes.

ZITI WITH RICOTTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and pour in the pasta. Stir. Set your serving bowl on top of the pot to warm it.
• While the pasta cooks, whip the ricotta and goat cheese together with a fork.
• Once the pasta is cooked al dente, ladle out about a cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Stir in the butter and the cheeses and season with pepper. Stir in enough of the pasta water - a little at a time - to make a smooth sauce.
• Scrape the pasta into the serving bowl and serve immediately. Pass the grated cheese at the table.
• Variation
• Wash about 1/2 pound of greens, something like dandelion or curly endive or Swiss chard, and cut into ribbons. Sauté the greens in a combination of olive oil and butter, about 1 tablespoon of each, until tender. Season with salt and pepper, and a pinch of crushed red pepper if you'd like, and add to the pasta when you add the cheeses.
• Easier still is to tear 1/2 pound of arugula or dandelion greens into small pieces and boil them along with the pasta.