Baked Ziti – 101 Cookbooks

I found a really implausible model of baked ziti in 2017 after I began cooking from Colu Henry’s Again Pocket Pasta. Massive, hearty, family-style pastas are a terrific love of mine, however my baked ziti makes an attempt had been all the time simply so-so. I struggled with total cohesiveness, and the ricotta combination all the time tended to bake up somewhat drier than I hoped. Colu’s approach was a game-changer. She recommends a 50/50 mix of ricotta and creme fraîche in her recipe – it retains all the pieces silky and wealthy, and I’ve by no means appeared again. And yep, bitter cream will even work in a pinch.

What Makes Nice Baked Ziti?

If you wish to make one of the best baked ziti, concentrate on two issues: how lengthy you cook dinner the pasta, and the sauce. The sauce is king right here. You wish to use good, flavorful tomatoes, and also you wish to let all the pieces simmer down right into a thick, chunky, vibrant crimson sauce. A little bit of endurance is essential. See the sauce within the picture beneath? Preserve simmering. On the pasta entrance, keep away from over-cooking within the preliminary stage, the boil. The ziti will proceed cooking because the pasta bakes – you wish to arrive on the end line with excellent pasta. When you overcook in the course of the preliminary boil, the pasta will develop into too tender and unstructured.

Baked Ziti: The Substances

• Dried ziti pasta: Use a good-quality dried pasta right here. Ziti is the namesake form to make use of, however penne is a legit various and simpler to seek out tbh. For a little bit of added vitamin, discover complete wheat pastas, or pasta made with lentils or chickpeas. As I’ve talked about in earlier pasta recipes, a ceaselessly favourite of mine is the Monograno Felicetti Farro Penne Rigate. You possibly can even make baked ziti gluten-free by swapping in one of many GF pastas.
• Child spinach: One notice right here, in case your child spinach has lengthy thick stems, go forward and snap the most important offenders off. Except for that I don’t trouble chopping or fussing.
• Canned tomatoes: Search for good-quality diced canned tomatoes. Be aware that you just’ll want each a 28-ounce *and* a 14-ounce can. I are inclined to seize fire-roasted for this recipe, however you don’t must!
  
  
• Sausage: I hardly ever purchase or cook dinner with pretend meat, however that is one recipe the place I exploit Not possible sausage for the meat element. It simply helps verify all of the bins for an enormous, family-style baked ziti that everybody can get on board with. One other various is to make use of this mushroom ragù as your sauce, rather than the crimson sauce with sausage posted beneath. 
• Cheeses: Three cheese are in play right here. Use recent mozzarella if attainable. It’ll usually be in liquid, and any dimension is ok – you’ll be tearing it into smaller items. For the grated cheese Colu recommends Pecorino Romano, however should you are inclined to preserve Parmesan available, go forward and use that – freshly grated. And the ricotta performs one other key roll right here, so use one you’d get pleasure from consuming straight – on a cracker or slice of toast.
  
  
• Creme fraîche: The wildcard on this baked ziti is the addition of creme fraîche. To make your personal, you possibly can add 1 tablespoon of cultured buttermilk or yogurt to a cup of heavy cream. Stir effectively, cowl with a clear dishtowel, and permit to sit down out in your counter for 12 hours or so, till it thickens. Refrigerate till prepared to make use of. Alternately, you should utilize bitter cream right here. It’s tangier, however in a great way!

Variations

Listed here are some favourite variations on this baked ziti that I’ve cooked over time.

• Make it Spicy: To make this baked ziti feisty and spicy, add a little bit of spicy Calabrian pepper paste (the one I purchase most is known as Bomba di Calabria) to the sauce after including the spinach. Go simple, a few of these pastes are wildly spicy. But in addition go stronger than you would possibly in any other case as a result of the sauce will probably be lower with all that dairy. Style and modify.
• Make it Gluten Free: You may make this recipe gluten-free through the use of GF pasta rather than conventional pasta. On the time I’m scripting this the Not possible sausage is GF, however double verify – in case you’re utilizing one other model or their product modifications.
• Baked Ziti with Mushrooms: I do a model of this baked ziti utilizing this mushroom ragù, and it’s equally implausible. Mainly, fill a 12-inch skillet to 1/2-inch or so beneath the rim, and stir within the 5 ounces or spinach. Then proceed with the recipe as written. Mainly, don’t skimp on the quantity of sauce you’re utilizing. 
• Toss in Some Wildcards: Numerous occasions when making baked ziti, I’ll toss substances in on a whim. No matter I’ve at hand. Just a few of the extra profitable additions embody the next: torn olives, plenty of lemon or orange zest, further spinach or herbs, deeply caramelized onions, goat cheese rather than half the mozzarella.

Baked Ziti: Make Forward Suggestions

This recipe makes a massive pan of baked ziti. We usually eat half and freeze half leading to simple meals within the coming weeks. The easiest way I’ve discovered to freeze baked ziti is to begin by refrigerating your baked ziti till it is extremely chilly. This makes it simple to slice into exact, particular person parts. Organize the parts on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze till stable. Switch to freezer baggage for as much as 6 weeks. Reheat, coated in foil, on a baking sheet (or in baking pan), in a 375F oven till bubbly and scorching all through.

Again Pocket Pasta & Colu

Colu’s archives are a gold-mine of low carry, fabulous meals. Within the years since Again Pocket Pasta was printed, she additionally wrote Colu Cooks: Straightforward Fancy Meals. You want somebody like Colu Henry in your life. When Again Pocket Pasta was printed, I wrote, “She’s a type of trendy associates who will inform you the place to attain the prettiest attire, assist you to guide one of the best journey locations, and fortunately level you towards your subsequent good learn.” She’s the queen of bringing easy fashion to the weeknight dinner desk and her books are brimming with informal recipes achievable with little greater than a fairly stocked pantry and a little bit of seasonal aptitude. You possibly can comply with her right here and right here.

Extra Pasta Recipes

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