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Baked Ziti with Tomatoes and Mozzarella

Source of Recipe

Marisa Williams, LAII, Circulation Services


Recipe Introduction

In this baked pasta dish, melted mozzarella provides the binding for the pasta and other ingredient. Use fresh mozzarella if possible, because it will add a nice creaminess and moisture to dish. Other short tubular pastas, such as rigatoni or penne, can be substituted for the ziti.

List of Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil, extra for oiling the dish

2 garlic cloves

1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes

1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons minced fresh basil

1/4 teaspoon sugar

Salt

1 lb. ziti

8 oz. mozzarella, shredded (2 cups)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese


Recipe

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degress. Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot for the ziti.

2. Meanwhile, cook 1 tablespoon oil and the garlic in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until the garlic is fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes with their juice. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened slightly; about 15 minutes. Stir in the basil, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

3. When the water is boiling, stir in 1 tablespoon salt and the ziti. Cook, stirring often, until the ziti is almost tender but still a little firm to the bite.

4. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the ziti and return it to the pot. Stir in the tomato sauce and toss to coat. Add the reserved pasta cooking water as needed to lossen the sauce.

5. Spread half of the ziti in an oiled 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the mozzarella and half of the Parmesen cheese. Spread the remaining ziti in the dish and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.

6. Bake until the cheese turns golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

VARIATION

Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage

Cooked 1 lb. hot or sweet Italian sausage, casting removed, in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until well browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a bowl and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat in the skillet. Substitute the fat for the oil in step #2. Add 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes and the browned sausage to the skillet with the tomatoes in step #2.