Greek Baked Ziti Recipes

ZITI BAKED WITH SHRIMP AND FETA CHEESE - GREEK STYLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400F. In a large saucepan set over moderate heat, heat oil until hot, and add the onion and cook it, stirring occasionally for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 3 to 4 minutes more, or until the onion and garlic are golden in color. Now add the tomatoes, oregano, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper to taste and simmer the tomatoes for 6 to 8 minutes, or until lightly thickened. Add the basil and shrimp and cook, stirring gently, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the shrimp are just turning pink. Place cooked pasta in a large bowl, gently stir in shrimp and tomato mixture, 2 tablespoons of the parsley and half of the feta cheese. Transfer to an oiled 3 quart shallow flameproof baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining feta cheese and parsley. Cover loosely with foil, place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbling. Run under the broiler until golden.

PASTITSIO - GREEK BAKED ZITI/LASAGNA

Steps:

• Add the olive oil to a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the ground beer and lamb and cook for 5-6 minutes, or just until you do not see any more pink.
• Add the onion and garlic and continue to cook until the onions are soft and the garlic is very fragrant, about 4-5 minutes. Salt and pepper generously.
• Pour the white wine into the sauté pan and stir. Allow the wine to reduce by at least half before adding the tomato puree, oregano, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, and allspice.
• Bring the sauce to a simmer and allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the sauce is quick thick. Set aside.
• While the tomato sauce is simmering, bring your water for the pasta in a stock pot to a boil. Cook the pasta as per the directions on the packaging except cut back the time by 1-2 minutes so that you don't end up with super mushy noodles in the end.
• While the pasta is cooking begin preparing the béchamel sauce by melting the butter in a large sauté pan. Once melted, slowly add the flour, whisking continuously to fully incorporate the fat and flour to make a roux. Continuing whisking for 2-3 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.
• Slowly add the milk to the roux, again whisking continuously.
• Add the 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg and allspice to the béchamel and let cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Place the egg yolks in a small bowl, and, while mixing them continuously, slowly add a tablespoon of the béchamel to the yolks at a time. Do this 4 or 5 times to temper the eggs. Then add the egg mixture to the béchamel and whisk to combine fully. Set aside. Note: DO NOT dump the yolks directly into the hot béchamel sauce without tempering them first or else you will end up with scrambled eggs.
• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
• Once the pasta is cooked, strain it. Place 1/2 cup of butter in the empty stock pot and, once melted, add the ziti along with the egg whites. Toss to combine but be careful not to break the noodles.
• To assemble the pastitsio, in a 13 by 9 pyrex baking dish, apply a layer of cooking spray so that the food does not adhere to the dish. Then, spread the ziti across the bottom of the dish, being sure to evenly distribute the noodles. Then, place the tomato sauce on the ziti. Top the tomato sauce with the béchamel, making sure that the entire dish is covered. Sprinkle the freshly grated parmesan cheese on top and place in the over, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until the cheese and béchamel sauce start to brown slightly. Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes.
• Serve by cutting square or rectangular pieces (just as if you were serving lasagna).

GREEK BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta in a dutch oven according to package instructions.
• 2. Meanwhile, saute onion in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 4-5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; saute 30 seconds. Add beef; cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until crumbled and no longer pink. Drain mixture, and return to skillet.
• 3. Stir tomato sauce, next 4 ingredients, and 1 tsp. salt into meat mixture. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
• 4. Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk. Increase heat to medium, and cook, stirring constantly, 5-7 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Stir in parmesan cheese, pepper and remaining 1/2 tsp salt. Add sauce to pasta, stirring to coat.
• 5. Transfer pasta mixture to a lightly greased (with cooking spray) 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Top with beef mixture, mozzarella cheese and bread crumbs.
• 6. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until mixture is bubbly and cheese is melted. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

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.