Best Ziti Pasta Recipes

MAMMA MARIA'S BAKED ZITI (PASTA AL FORNO)

Steps:

• 1. Start by making the sauce. In a big pot, heat oil. Add onions and cook until lightly browned.
• 2. Add tomato puree.
• 3. Use an empty sauce can and fill with water add to the sauce.
• 4. Cook sauce in medium heat for 10 minutes or so then add sugar, basil and stir, continue to cook the sauce for another 30 minutes stirring occasionally.
• 5. Preheat oven at 375 degrees F. Brown ground beef and drain fat.
• 6. Chop boiled eggs.
• 7. Cook pasta as directed; make it a little al dente. Drain pasta and put it back in the pot.
• 8. Add ground beef and peas to the sauce.
• 9. Pour enough sauce to lightly coat the pasta. Make sure you divide the sauce so you can have enough for the baking preparation.
• 10. In a 13x9 pan, pour a scoop of sauce and spread it all around the pan.
• 11. Add half of the pasta. Layer the eggs on top of every section of the pasta.
• 12. Then with a teaspoon, layer the ricotta on every section of the pasta until the whole cup is gone.
• 13. Add half the sauce on top.
• 14. Then sprinkle half of the grated Parmesan cheese and a half bag of mozzarella.
• 15. Pour the remaining pasta on top and add the sauce.
• 16. Top grated cheese and mozzarella. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and cook for about 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes to allow to slightly brown. Mom used to let it sit for about 10 minutes so when you would cut portions they wouldn't fall apart.
• 17. You can choose whatever item you like in the ziti... but we love it just like that... it's filling and it's good.

FRIED ZITI... "PEASANT PASTA"

Steps:

• 1. Cook Ziti al dente- drain and refrigerate to chill (can be done a day ahead of time). Transfer ziti to a cutting board and chop coarsely.
• 2. In a large skillet, heat butter and olive oil, add scallions, onions and garlic, sauté briefly 1 minute.
• 3. Add chopped ziti and sauté until the pasta starts to brown up and caramelize a bit -be sure to stir and shake the pan back or use a spoon to move the ziti around so you do not burn the pasta and you get some great color throughout the pasta.
• 4. Once you have some great brown color on the Ziti, add salt, pepper, oregano and the fresh herbs than add the sauce mixing and begin sauteing for another few minutes or so. I like to add Cooked Sweet sliced Italian Sausage at this time. Next add a couple of table spoons of the Asiago cheese and fold in.
• 5. Top the whole pan with the grated mozzarella and provolone evenly over the top along with the remaining Asiago cheese.
• 6. Bake in a preheated oven 400 degrees cook pasta for 20-30 minutes until brown and a bit crisp on the sides. Serve with some garlic bread and enjoy!
• 7. You can add any one of the following ingredients in place of the Sausage: Pepperoni- Diced Sautéed Mushrooms Fresh Spinach Meatballs (Cooked and Sliced) Sun dried Tomatoes
• 8. Check the full cooking demo and story behind this dish! www.thecookbookproject.net

ZITI AL MULIGNAN (BAKED PASTA WITH EGGPLANT)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F).
• In a large pot, boil the water.
• When it boils, add the salt and pasta.
• Stir for thirty seconds.
• Boil the pasta for eight minutes and drain.
• Cut the eggplant into 1 cm cubes.
• In a large bowl, using your hands, toss with the olive oil, garlic, and parmigiano cheese.
• Add salt, pepper, and oregano and toss.
• Grate the mozzarella.
• Toss 2/3 of the mozzarella cheese with the eggplant mixture.
• Reserve the other third.
• Using a spoon, flick bits of the ricotta into the bowl.
• Toss gently with your hands, using a folding technique- start at the bottom and fold it over the top so you don't spread the ricotta too much.
• Oil a 23 cm (9 in) square pan.
• When the pasta is cool enough to handle, add it to the bowl and toss quickly.
• Spread the mixture in the baking pan.
• Cover with the tomato sauce.
• Bang the pan on the counter a few times to get everything to settle and the air bubbles out.
• Cover with the remaining mozzarella.
• Cover LOOSELY with a"tent" of tin foil- do not let the foil touch the food!
• Bake for 35 minutes.
• Remove the tin foil and bake for 10 minutes more.
• Rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

BAKED ZITI FETA PASTA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a 9 x 13 mix together the grape tomatoes, olive oil, minced garlic, rosemary, oregano, salt, and pepper.
• Nestle the block of Feta cheese in the middle of the grape tomatoes. Bake the tomatoes and Feta for 45 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the oven. Turn down the temperature to 350. Mash the Feta and roasted tomatoes.
• Add the cooked ziti pasta and chiffonaded basil. Fold together to combine.
• Sprinkle the top with mozzarella cheese.
• Return to the oven for 10 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and sprinkle with a little additional basil. Enjoy!

PASTA RUSTICA (BAKED ZITI)

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, warm oil. Add onion and cook until golden, about 5 min. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 min. Add sausage and cook, breaking it up into bite-size pieces, until no longer pink, about 6 min. Stir in oregano and red pepper flakes. Add tomatoes with puree and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 10-12 min. Add chopped basil and simmer until wilted, 1 -2 min. Taste and adjust seasonings. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a baking dish. Bring a large pot three-fourths full of water to a boil over high heat. Salt the water, add pasta, stir well and cook until barely al dente (tender but firm to the bite), 10-12 min. Drain well. In a large bowl, toss pasta with sauce, ricotta and fontina. Spread in pre-pared baking dish and sprinkle with Parmigiano-Rrreggiano. Bake until cheeses are melted and tips of pasta are crusty, about 30 min. Let stand 5 min. before serving. Serve hot.

CIAO BELLA PASTA AL FORNO (BAKED ZITI)

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• 2. In a 9" X 13" baking dish ladle enough sauce to cover bottom of pan.
• 3. Spread half the pasta and shredded mozzarella. Cover with sauce and sprinkle some parmesan cheese evenly over sauce.
• 4. Repeat for the second layer. Bake for 45 minutes.

YELLOW SQUASH ZITI PASTA

Steps:

• 1. Cook pasta as specified on box. Drain. Put in large bowl.
• 2. Slice squash and quarter slices. Heat cast iron skillet with 1 T olive oil. Put in squash. Add ½ t salt, ½ t pepper, ½ t chili pepper flakes, ½ t Mrs. Dash. Cook on medium high for about 4 minutes. Squash should have some charred parts, take off burner before pieces get soggy.
• 3. Add squash to pasta in large bowl. Add 1 T olive oil, ½ t salt, ½ t pepper and parmesan. Mix to combine. Serve while hot. Goes well with a glass of white wine.

PASTA-MARIO BATALI'S BAKED ZITI WITH RICOTTA AND HAM RECIPE

Steps:

• We've Made Cooking As Easy As 1-2-3! ingredients 3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 pound Italian Cooked Ham Preferably Parmacotto (cut into 1/2-inch cubes) Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper instructions In a dutch oven, heat the olive oil over high heat until smoking. Add the ham cubes and brown for 5 to 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. . ingredients 1 small Carrot (cut into 1/4-inch dice) 1 rib Celery (thinly sliced) 1 onion (diced) instructions Add the carrot, onion, and celery and cook until the vegetables are golden brown, about 10 minutes. . ingredients 1 cup Dry Red Wine 1 1/2 cups Basic Tomato Sauce instructions Add the wine, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and cook until the meat is just about falling apart, about 50 minutes. Transfer the meat to a large bowl. Keep the sauce warm. . ingredients 2 tablespoons salt instructions Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F. Bring 6 quarts of a water to a boil in a large pot and add 2 tablespoons salt. . ingredients 1 1/2 pound Ziti instructions Cook the ziti in the boiling water for 1 minute less than package directions, until still very al dente. . ingredients 8 ounce Pecorino Fresco (cut into small dice) 2 cups Besciamella instructions Transfer the cooked ziti to a large mixing. Add besciamella and pecorino and stir to combine and melt cheese. . ingredients 1 pound Ricotta instructions Grease a round 12-inch deep pie dish or a casserole with olive oil. Add a layer of the ziti. Next add a few dollops of ricotta, topped with a layer of the meat ragu. Repeat these layers until all the ingredients are used up, try for the top layer to be ricotta and pasta. . ingredients 1/2 cup Freshly Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano instructions Bake for 25-30 minutes, until bubbling and heated through. Serve in warmed pasta bowls with parmigiano garnish

BAKED ZITI PASTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the cottage cheese, eggs and 1 cup of the parmesan cheese together in a medium bowl; set aside. Cook pasta until pasta begins to soften but is not yet cooked through, about 7 minutes (the pasta will finish cooking in the oven). Drain pasta and leave in colander. Do not wash the large pot you cooked the pasta in. While the pasta is cooking, heat oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat until the garlic is fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, sugar, basil and oregano; simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Take off heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir cornstarch into milk and transfer mixture to the now-empty large pot the pasta cooked in. Set the pot over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat and add cottage cheese mixture, 1 cup tomato sauce, and 3/4 cup mozzarella, then stir to combine. Add pasta and stir to coat thoroughly with sauce. FREEZER MEAL: Put together the pasta dish as indicated above. Cover with aluminum foil and put in the freezer until ready to cook.

ZITI PASTA

Steps:

• Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Crumble the sausage meat into a large saucepan and brown over medium heat, stirring often, about 4 minutes. Drain off any fat, then add the onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, peas, tomato paste, oregano, basil, thyme, fennel seeds, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat and cook uncovered 5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the cooked pasta and half the cheese. Spread evenly into a 9- X 13-inch baking pan. Top evenly with the remaining cheese. Bake until the cheese has melted and the casserole is bubbling, about 20 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes at room temperature before slicing into 8 pieces. Yields 1 piece per serving.

DELICIOUS HAM ZITI PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente; drain and rinse under cold water, place in a large bowl.
• Add in the cubed ham, bell peppers, onion, chopped sweet pickles; toss to combine.
• In a small bowl whisk together mayo, sour cream, beef bouillon granules, vinegar, seasoned salt, pepper, fresh garlic and 1/2 cup reserved sweet pickle juice; add to the pasta mixture and toss well to combine.
• Season with more salt and pepper if desired.
• Cover and chill 24 hours to blend flavors.
• Just before serving add in the small whole cherry tomatoes.
• Best if served near room temperature.

HORNEADO DE PASTA ZITI CON CALABAZA Y CHAMPIñONES

Steps:

• Calienta el horno a 375ºF.
• Cuece la pasta en una olla grande como se indica en el paquete, pero omite la sal.
• Entretanto, calienta el aceite en una sartén grande antiadherente a fuego medio-alto. Añade la calabaza y los champiñones; cocínalos revolviendo durante 8 min. o hasta que la calabaza esté blanda. Agrégale el ajo y el romero; cocínalos revolviendo durante 1 min. Añade el caldo y el Neufchatel; cocínalos revolviendo durante 2 a 3 min. o hasta que el Neufchatel esté completamente derretido y todo bien mezclado.
• Escurre la pasta. Añádela a la mezcla de calabaza en la sartén junto con la espinaca y 1/2 taza del queso desmenuzado; mezcla todo ligeramente. Acomoda la pasta en una fuente para hornear de 13x9 pulgs., rociada con aceite en aerosol; tapa la fuente.
• Hornea la pasta de 15 a 20 min. o hasta que esté completamente caliente. Ponle encima el queso restante; hornéala destapada durante 5 min. o hasta que el queso se derrita.