Baked Ziti With Thick Rich Meat Sauce Recipes

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.

BAKED ZITI WITH THICK RICH MEAT SAUCE

Steps:

• Prepare sauce and keep under a low flame.
• Preheat oven to 350.
• Mix the cheese mixture together.
• Mix pasta with 1/3 - 1/2 of the cheese mixture till creamy and gooey.
• Place 1 1/2 cups sauce in bottom of a 10x13 casserole dish.
• Top with 1/2 of the pasta.
• Spread the remaining cheese on the pasta.
• Top with 2-3 cups of the meat sauce.
• Top with remaining pasta; 1 cup sauce; 1 cup mozzarella; then top with grated cheese.
• Bake for 30 minutes. Placing foil on the rack below to catch any spillage that may occur for this is packed with goodness.
• Meanwhile let the sauce keep simmering to use if desired on top of the baked ziti.