Best Ziti With Chestnuts And Mushrooms Recipes

BAKED ZITI WITH VEGETABLES AND MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°.
• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell peppers, and sauté 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in basil, salt, black pepper, tomatoes, and tomato sauce, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes or until slightly thick. Stir in spinach; cook 1 minute or until spinach wilts. Stir in pasta. Spoon into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Dollop with ricotta.
• Cover and bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
• Note: To make ahead, assemble casserole as directed. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Let stand 30 minutes at room temperature, and bake as directed.

ZITI WITH SHARP CHEDDAR AND MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Warm the butter in a saucepan. Add celery, mushrooms, leeks, and marjoram and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
• Stir in flour and cook 1 more minute, then quickly whisk in the milk.
• Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season the sauce with 1 teaspoons salt, pepper(to taste) and nutmeg and mustard.
• Preheat the oven to 350*F.
• Lightly butter or oil a 3 quart baking dish. Cook the ziti in plenty of boiling water until barely done(usually 2 minutes less than called for on package). Drain in a colander, then rinse under cold water.
• Combine the pasta with the sauce and cheese, then pour it into the baking dish and cover with the bread crumbs.
• Bake until bubbling and browned on top, about 25-30 minutes.
• Enjoy!

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.

HERBY SPINACH AND MUSHROOM BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the garlic is golden, about 2 minutes. Add both cans of tomatoes and 1 cup water. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat slightly, add the basil sprigs and simmer rapidly, uncovered, until thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Discard the basil sprigs and stir in the chopped basil and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, until just wilted. Transfer to a large bowl.
• Cook the ziti in the salted boiling water until very al dente, about 2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain the pasta and add it to the bowl.
• Add the tomato sauce, half of both the mozzarella and Parmesan to the bowl and stir well to combine. Transfer the pasta to a 3- to 4-quart baking dish and top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, until browned, about 15 minutes. Let the pasta stand about 10 minutes before serving.

PASTA WITH CHESTNUTS AND MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Using a paring knife, make a horizontal cut on the flat side of each chestnut. Place them in boiling water to cover, and cook for 3 minutes. Remove them from the water a few at a time and peel while still hot.
• Soak the mushrooms in about 1 1/2 cups of very hot water. For the pasta, bring a large pot of water to a boil, and salt it.
• Place half the butter in a skillet, turn the heat to medium-high, and a minute later, add the shallots. Sprinkle lightly with salt, and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Chop the chestnuts into 1/2- to 1/4-inch chunks, then measure about a cup. Add them to the skillet, along with a little more salt.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chestnuts deepen in color, about 5 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the water; strain and reserve the liquid. Chop the mushrooms, and add them to the skillet; cook, stirring, for a minute or two, then add the strained liquid. Turn the heat to low, and season to taste with salt and lots of black pepper.
• Cook the pasta until tender but not mushy. If the chestnut sauce is too thick, add a little of the pasta water to it when the pasta is nearly done. Stir in the remaining butter.Drain the pasta, and dress with the sauce. Serve immediately.

ZITI WITH CHESTNUTS AND MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Cut a ring around each chestnut, then put them in boiling water to cover and cook for 3 minutes. Remove them from the water, a few at a time, and peel while still hot. Meanwhile, soak the mushrooms in about 1 1/2 cups of very hot water.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Put half the butter or oil in a skillet, turn the heat to medium-high, and, a minute later, add the shallot. Sprinkle lightly with salt and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Chop the chestnuts into 1/2- to 1/4-inch chunks, then measure about 1 cup. Add them to the skillet along with a little more salt.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chestnuts deepen in color, about 5 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from their soaking liquid; reserve and strain the liquid. Chop the mushrooms and add them to the skillet; cook, stirring, for a minute or two, then add the strained mushroom-soaking liquid. Turn the heat to low and season to taste with salt and lots of black pepper.
• Cook the pasta until tender but not mushy. If the sauce is too thick, add a little of the pasta-cooking water to it when the pasta is nearly done. Stir in the remaining butter or oil, then drain the pasta and dress with the sauce. Serve immediately.
• Variations
• Add a few fresh thyme sprigs along with the shallot. Remove before serving and sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves as a garnish.
• Add diced (1/4 inch or less) zucchini; peeled, seeded, and diced tomato; or red bell pepper-no more than a cup total-along with the chestnuts.
• Peeling Chestnut
• There are many ways to peel chestnuts, which like most nuts have a hard outer shell and a soft inner skin. Removing them both is a three-step process. First, use a paring knife-a curved one with a sharp point makes this quick and easy-to cut a ring around the equator of each nut or make an X on the flat side. Plunge the nuts into boiling water to cover for about three minutes, then turn off the heat, leaving the chestnuts in the water. Remove two or three at a time and, using the knife and your fingers, peel off both shell and skin; use a towel to protect your hands from the heat if necessary. If you're doing a large batch-say, twenty or more-you'll notice that as the water cools the skins become more difficult to remove. Bring the pot back to a boil and they'll begin to slip off again. And, although the exact count of chestnuts for this dish is not critical, I begin with fifteen, because there are usually a couple of rotten ones, or some whose inner skin refuses to come off. These must be discarded.