Recipe: Baked Ziti with Three Cheeses, Baked Ziti with Pesto (2 recipes)

Hi Jill:-) Here are two recipes for Baked Ziti. The first was posted here by Gladys, PR. The second recipe is from Food and Wine. There are other recipes posted here if neither of these is what you are looking for. Just type "Baled Ziti" in the Find Box and you will be able to look at all that have been posted here in the past.

BAKED ZITI WITH THREE CHEESES
Servings: 6

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 (14-ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes
1 cup water
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
1 egg
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
12 ounces rigatoni pasta, cooked according to package

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion, garlic and fennel seeds and saute until onion has softened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in oregano and sage, cook 30 seconds and add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.

Add tomatoes and water. Simmer until mixture thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

Stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 425F (220C). Grease a 9x13x2-inch glass baking dish.

In medium bowl combine ricotta cheese and egg. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread 1/4 of sauce over bottom of prepared baking dish. Layer 1/3 of cooked pasta over. Drop half of ricotta mixture over by spoonfuls and sprinkle with 1/3 of the mozzarella then ladle 1/4 of sauce over .

Repeat layering with another 1/3 of pasta, remaining ricotta mixture, 1/3 of the mozzarella, 1/4 of sauce and remaining pasta. Ladle remaining sauce over and sprinkle with remaining 1/3 of mozzarella and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.

Cover casserole with aluminum foil and bake until heated through, about 45 minutes, removing cover after 30 minutes to allow cheese to brown.

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BAKED ZITI WITH PESTO
Source: Food and Wine
Swevings: 4

"Because it's baked, this pasta takes a bit longer from kitchen to table than other dishes in this book. You'll find the preparation time, though, is just as short as that of any other recipe here."

1/2 pound ziti
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups grated, packaged mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup store-bought or homemade pesto

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Oil an 8-by-8-inch baking dish.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta for 7 minutes. It will be partially cooked. Drain. Rinse with cold water and drain again thoroughly.

In a medium saucepan, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.

Add the tomatoes, salt, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer over moderate heat and cook until very thick, about 10 minutes.

Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Remove the bay leaf.

In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella, about half the Parmesan, the pesto, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Put half of the cooked pasta into the prepared baking dish and top with about a third of the tomato sauce. Spread the ricotta mixture on the sauce in an even layer. Cover with the remaining pasta and then the remaining sauce. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and the remaining Parmesan. Drizzle with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil.

Bake until bubbling, about 30 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before cutting.