Help - Baked Ziti

[amcleod]

So, this weekend is my in-laws' 50th Wedding Anniversary. There is a mid-day party for friends & family, but afterwards we'll go back to someone's house and have a family-only party. Because of the timing, we need to have some food.

So my SIL and I are taking care of this. We thought we'd just do lasange, meatballs, and salad. Well, I would rather do baked ziti since it is a bit less time consuming to make two huge trays of that than lasagne. Does anyone have any good recipes for baked ziti (or other kind of pasta)? Or can I just adapt a lasagne recipe?

Also, I thought I would make it easy on all of us and buy a huge bag of mini-meatballs at Costco. Would also love some sauce suggestions for that if you do something special for your meatballs. (I have seen the recent posts on sauce and will check those out too.)

Thanks in advance!
ann

[lindrusso]

Here's a link to a recipe that I tried on Epicurious that is very similar to a baked ziti (minus the ricotta), but is has a couple of more unusual ingredients that give it an interesting, and delicious, twist. I made it for my in-laws and it got very good reviews from them! I'll also post the recipe here, but I thought I'd include the link so you could see the reviews posted at Epicurious - that always helps me decide!http://www.epicurious.com/run/recipe/view?id=513

PENNE WITH TOMATOES, OLIVES AND TWO CHEESES


To round out the menu, offer a tossed green salad and uncork a Chianti to go with this delicious pasta dish.

6 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 28-ounce cans Italian plum tomatoes, drained
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper
2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth


1 pound penne or rigatoni
2 1/2 cups packed grated Havarti cheese
1/3 cup sliced pitted brine-cured olives (such as Kalamata)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Mix in tomatoes, dried basil and crushed red pepper. Bring to boil, breaking up tomatoes with back of spoon. Add broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer and mixture thickens to chunky sauce and is reduced to 6 cups, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm over low heat before continuing.)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain well.

Return pasta to same pot. Toss with 3 tablespoons oil. Pour sauce over and toss to blend. Mix in Havarti cheese. Transfer pasta to 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle with olives, then Parmesan.

Bake until pasta is heated through, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with basil.

Serves 4.


Bon Appétit
February 1995

[dmcgreevey]

This recipe has been a staple in my house for 5 years- it's so tasty but it is definitely not low fat/healthy.

I have started making a version of a recipe called "Short Cut Lasagne" or "Quick" lasagne- it's basically all the lasagne stuff, but with ziti instead, you just mix it up.

It's from the CL recipe finder, which wasn't working right now when I went to do the search.

[rinsav]

Here is a quick and easy recipe that I make often that might work for your party. Hope you guys have fun!

Baked Rigatoni with Beef

Slightly undercook the pasta for this classic hamburger casserole because it cooks again in the oven.

4 cups Tomato Sauce
(you can make your own or use store-bought)
1 pound ground round
4 cups cooked rigatoni (about 2 1/2 cups uncooked pasta)
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
cooking spray
1/4 (1 ounce) grated fresh parmesan cheese

1. Prepare Tomato Sauce.

2. Preheat oven to 350.

3. Cook beef in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned; stir to crumble. Drain well. Combine beef, rigatoni, tomato sauce, and 1 cup mozzarella in an 11x7 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Top with 1/2 cup mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 cup).

Calories 305 (28% from fat); Fat 9.6g (sat 4.3g, mono 3.5g, poly 0.7g); Protein 24g; Carb 30.5g; Fiber 2.3g; Chol 50mg; Iron 3.5mg; Sodium 438mg; Calc 232mg

[sneezles]

Just thought you might me interested to know that the word Ziti means bridegroom, sort of apropriate for an anniversary celbration. My recipe is similar to Lindrusso's but still different:

Sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs olive oil
8 anchovies, cut into pieces (I use an anchovy paste instead)
1 (2-pound 3-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes, pushed through a food mill or fine sieve
8 stuffed green olives, sliced
8 pitted black olives, sliced
1 tsp capers
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried red pepper

Saute garlic in the oil until soft. If using anchovies add to the garlic and when they have broken apart, add the tomatoes; otherwise just add the tomatoes (and I add 1 tbs anchovy paste). Simmer for 10 minutes. Blend in olives, capers, basil and red pepper. Simmer uncover for 20 minutes, or until sauce is thickened. Makes 4 cups.


4 cups Sauce
3 tbs butter
1/4 pound provolone, grated
1 pound ziti, broken into 2 inch pieces

Place 2 tbs butter and half the grated cheese in a hot bowl. Cook the ziti until half done, or very chewy, and drain. Toss with the butter and cheese. Place 1/3 of the hot sauce in a buttered casserole dish, add the ziti. Spoon the remaing sauce over the ziti, sprinkle with the rest of the cheese, and dot with remainging tbs of butter. Bake in a preheated oven (400º) for 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Serves 4-6.
Can be assembled ahead then refrigerated or frozen. Bake at 375º for 30 minutes if refrigerated. If frozen let thaw in fridge and then bake at 375º for 30-45 minutes.

[heatherfeather]

If you go to allrecipes.com and enter Baked Ziti in the search window- there is the absolute easiest, most fantastic Baked Ziti recipe I have ever made. It is the one with lots and lots of postive reviews. It is really wonderful and there is NO ricotta or cottage cheese in the recipe. I have served this to Dh (he's half Italian), guests, and other family who have all remarked on how it is such great baked ziti. Do't' be afraid of the sour cream - and you can use light sour cream, by the way. It, as well as the slices of Provolone cheese, is the secret.

[heatherfeather]

Here is the link for the Baked Ziti recipe (I wasn't sure I was allowed to post it here). It is up to 329 positive reviews!!

http://pastarecipe.com/az/bakedziti.asp

[crazyquilter]

Just wanted to second lindrusso's recipe for penne with tomatoes, olives and two cheeses. I've been making that recipe since I bought that magazine (I guess about 6 years now!). It's a staple in our house, and everyone I've made it for loves it. It's really easy, too.

[amcleod]

thanks sooooo much everyone! You know how it is when you're cooking for your in-laws - lots o'pressure! I am sure to wow them thanks to your help!

[vbak]

Ann, I just made 230 meat balls for a friends 25th anniversay party. I put them into a sweet sour sauce- Catalina dressing . pineapple preserves, drained pineapple chunks and diced green and red pepper. Very yummy. Vicky

[deb]

vbak, I have been looking for a good oriental type meatball recipe. Your recipe sounds good so far. Would you mind posting a more detailed recipe. Thanks!

[vbak]

I will try to find the recipe after school for the sweet sour sauce. Vicky

[vbak]

Deb, I found the recipe but it is rather boring. Here is what I do: I put as many meatballs into the crockpot as it can hold, maybe 100. In a large pot I add 1 small bottle of Catalina dressing. It can be reduced fat, 1 small pineapple preserves, 1 can pineapple chunks, drained, and about 1/2 red and 1/2 green pepper cut into chunks, a little garlic powder or 1 crushed garlic clove. Heat this mixture so the peppers get a head start cooking . Pour over meatballs in crockpot and heat for several hours. You can add a splash of soy sauce if you like. It is very good. As it cooks ,the meatballs will exude juices and the sauce ingredients will thin. Hope you enjoy it if you make it. Vicky

[amcleod]

Well, after consulting the DH, he wanted me to make "boring baked ziti" (as I shall now call the baked ziti I made pre-CL...ricotta, mozzerella, some jarred sauce). I wasn't too thrilled about that.

So, I made one "boring baked ziti" and the "penne with tomatoes, olives, and two cheeses" (sans olives since I don't like them) as recommended by lindrusso (thanks! - it looks sooooooo good and I cannot wait to eat it on Saturday).

Now here is my question: I am freezing these suckas. How long do I cook them from their frozen state?

Thanks again everyone. Will let you know the reviews when I come back to the boards after the party.

ann

[JnSCole]

Here's a dumb question: I've been looking for recipes that I can use when we have people over during the week. They need to be something I can make the night before and then just cook on the night. Is that something I can do with the baked ziti recipe from allrecipes.com (it looks wonderful!)? I'm just not sure if it's safe to leave it uncooked overnight?

Stacy

[mb]

lindrusso, that recipe looks great! thanks for posting it.

we have some of the baked rigatoni w/ beef in the freezer. we ate the first half of the recipe about a month ago & thought it was just ok.

we made the shortcut lasagna a while back, substituting tofu mashed in with the ricotta for the ground beef. very tasty and very easy.

also, after we had the baby, we made 'pasta bake' a few times. basically, it's a jar of sauce (by prego maybe?) and you toss in a jar of sauce, a jar of water, and a box of pasta. when it's almost done baking, you sprinkle cheese on top. definitely not low-fat, or high-brow, but it was good enough for a quick and tasty hot meal when we didn't feel like cooking.

ann, let us know how your baked ziti and pasta w/ 2 cheeses are received!

[lindrusso]

Originally posted by JnSCole
Here's a dumb question: I've been looking for recipes that I can use when we have people over during the week. They need to be something I can make the night before and then just cook on the night. Is that something I can do with the baked ziti recipe from allrecipes.com (it looks wonderful!)? I'm just not sure if it's safe to leave it uncooked overnight?
Stacy

I do this all the time with lasagna. I don't put meat in mine, but since the meat is cooked before assembling the dish, I don't think there would be any problems.

[heatherfeather]

IOn answer to the question about preparing the baked ziti from allrecipes.com the night before and then baking the next day. Absolutely! I personally do this any time I expect company the next day. The meat is already fully cooked anyway. I also have made up the ziti in the morning then baked it when I got home for supper. If you have prechilled it, you may need to add some more cooking time - maybe an extra 15 minutes. You know the ziti is done when you can smell it and it is all bubbly and gooey. The purpose of cooking the ziti in the oven is to blend the flavors together and to melt the cheese. The leftovers are great too!

[JnSCole]

Thanks very much for the info about pre-baking the ziti. Now I really can't wait to try it! It takes so much of the stress out of having company for dinner if I can do that...

Stacy