MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

Title: Baked Ziti
Categories: Pasta, Cheese, Vegetables, Dairy, Chilies
Yield: 7 servings

1/4 c Olive oil
1 lg Yellow onion, finely
- chopped
4 cl Garlic, fine chopped
Salt & fresh ground pepper
2 tb Tomato paste
28 oz Can whole peeled tomatoes;
- packed in juice
28 oz Can tomato purée or sauce
3/4 ts Red pepper flakes
16 oz Ricotta
1/2 c Heavy cream
1/2 c Fine grated Parmesan or
- Pecorino; more for grating
- on top
1 lb Ziti, rigatoni, penne, or
- manicotti pasta
1 lb Fresh mozzarella; in 1/2"
- pieces

MAKE THE TOMATO SAUCE: Heat oil in a large,
heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onion and
garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring
occasionally, until the onion is totally softened and
translucent (without letting it brown), 8 to 10 minutes.
Add tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring until it
has turned a deeper brick-red color, tinting the oil and
onions a fiery orange color, about 2 minutes. Crush the
whole tomatoes by hand and add them (including the
juice) and the tomato puree to the pot, stirring to
scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pot. Season
with salt and pepper and add red pepper flakes. Bring to
a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the
tomato sauce has thickened and flavors have come
together, 20 to 30 minutes.

PREPARE THE FILLING: In a medium bowl, combine ricotta,
heavy cream and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Season with salt and
pepper and set aside.

PREPARE THE PASTA: As the sauce cooks, heat oven to 425
degrees, and place a large pot of salted water to boil
on the stove.

Cook pasta until it’s nearly al dente. (You want to
undercook the pasta slightly, as it will continue to
cook in the oven. A good way to do this is cook it 2
minutes less than you normally would if preparing it al
dente.) Reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid,
drain pasta and rinse with cool water; set aside while
the tomato sauce finishes cooking.

Once tomato sauce is done, stir in reserved pasta water.

Place pasta in a large bowl and add 2 cups sauce. Stir
to coat pasta evenly encouraging the sauce to go inside
each tube.

Spoon a bit of remaining sauce on the bottom of a
3-quart baking dish and top with 1/3 of the pasta. Spoon
? of the remaining sauce on top, dollop with half the
ricotta mixture and scatter 1/3 of the mozzarella on top
of that. Repeat, beginning with the pasta, one more
time. For the final layer, add the last 1/3 of pasta and
the last of the sauce. Dot remaining mozzarella on top
and shave a bit more Parmesan on top of that. Place
baking dish on top of a sheet pan lined with parchment
paper to catch any drips. Place in the oven and bake
until the edges are golden brown and bubbling and the
top has browned nicely, 30 to 40 minutes.

Let cool slightly before eating with a big green leafy
salad.

By: Alison Roman

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

RECIPE FROM: https://cooking.nytimes.com

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