ISO...baked ziti recipe

[Susan]

Does anyone have a tried and true basic baked ziti recipe (CL or other) that they can share? I have a major craving for this and have never made it before.

Thanks!
Susan

[Ohioan]

Here's a really easy one, as long as you have some already made tomato sauce available:

Broil some eggplant slices until they're tender, and then cut the broiled slices into bite-size (or otherwise manageable) pieces. Cook the ziti very al dente, drain, and put into a baking pan. Add the eggplant pieces and tomato sauce, and mix everything up together. The mixture should be fairly soupy, since the ziti will absorb some of the sauce as the dish bakes.

Next, take some hard sharp cheese such as aged Provolone, and chop it up into pieces (you be the judge of how much you like). Mix some of the cheese into the ziti, and spread the rest of it over the top. Stick the whole thing in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and browning on top.

Simple and delicious. You can also mix in quartered kalamata olives, capers, etc. Oh, and make enough for leftovers, because it's even better the next day.

Phoebe

[sneezles]

Here's one I have used forever:
it's from The Complete Book of Pasta, c1968.
Ziti Tagliate Al Forno

4 shallots, minced
8 tbs butter
8 very ripe tomatoes, peeled and diced
1tsp salt
Liberal amount of milled black pepper
1 cup white Chianti
1 pound ziti
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesean

Saute the minced shallots in 4 tbs of the butter until soft. Stir in the tomatoes, salt and pepper; simmer for 10 minutes. Add the wine and simmer stirring often, for 25 minutes. Put all through food mill. Stir 2 tbs of the butter into the puree and simmer into a smooth, velvety sauce. Cook ziti al dente; drain. Place in a large bowl and toss with half of the sauce. Butter a baking dish and pour in half of the pasta. Sprinkle over this half of the cheeses (which have been mixed together in a small bowl). Add the remaining pasta, spoon the sauce over, and add the rest of the cheese. Fleck the top with the remaining butter. Bake in 400º oven, uncovered for 10 minutes, or until sauce is bubbling and top is brown. Serves 6.

I have often reduced the amount of fat by half and have used other dry white Italian wines when I didn't have any white Chianti. I have also substituted Progresso canned tomatoes.

I also have a recipe that uses a cream sauce with double the cheese.

[Beth]

My husband loved this penne recipe, and I'm sure you could use ziti just as well. I lightened this from the original, but it still has a lot of cheese. Don't know that I trust that nutritional information.


* Exported from MasterCook *

Penne Pasta Bake

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/2 pound penne pasta -- cooked and drained
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic -- (3 cloves)
1/4 large onion -- chopped
1/2 large red bell pepper -- chopped
1/2 pound ground lean beef -- or ground turkey plus sausage seasoning
1 26 oz jar pasta sauce
1 cup ricotta cheese, part skim milk
8 ounces shredded Mozzerella cheese -- (2 cups) divided
3 Tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 egg -- (or 2 egg whites)

Heat skillet, add oil and saute garlic, onion and pepper until onion is just tender. Remove and drain.

Return skillet to heat and add ground meat. Cook and crumble until browned. Drain.

Combine meat, vegetables and sauce. In another bowl, blend ricotta, 1 cup mozzerella, pamesean and egg. Layer half of the pasta, sauce and cheese mixture and repeat. Top with remaining mozzerella.

Bake 35-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per serving: 215 Calories (kcal); 5g Total Fat; (20% calories from fat); 11g Protein; 31g Carbohydrate; 15mg Cholesterol; 98mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates


Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

[KimKelly]

My recipe is not anywhere near as fancy as the previous posts (and do they ever sound good... my printer is working overtime again!). But anyway, here's what we do, I'll apologize in advance for my lack of measurements...

I brown some ground beef (or turkey) along with some onions and garlic adn some crushed red pepper. Mix in a jar of prepared tomato sauce, heat thru. Then I add some ricotta cheese to taste. I mix in some cooked penne and pour into a casserole. Then top with grated mozzerella. Bake till bubbly and the cheese is slightly browned at 350.

Hope this helps... it's quick and fairly easy.

Kim

[lorilei]

This is a very simple, quick version of baked ziti that my husband and I have tweeked and honed to suit our tastes over the years. It's delicious and filling on a cold wintery evening, and is wonderful paired with a nice bottle of chianti. You may use more or less cheese to suit your tastes.

WEEKNIGHT BAKED ZITI

1 small container fat-free cottage cheese or ricotta
1 jar pasta sauce (I use Classico)
1 T anchovy paste
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese
1 lb ziti

Cook ziti according to package directions and drain. Mix together remaining ingredients; add pasta. Place in lightly greased baking pan. Bake 40 minutes or until heated through and becoming golden.

VEGGIE VARIATIONS:

Add any of the following:
1 small eggplant, roasted and chopped
1/2 cup chopped Mediterranean olives
1 roasted red bell pepper, chopped

almost anything your imagination can come up with... I nearly always add extra garlic and olives.


[This message has been edited by lorilei (edited 09-25-2000).]

[AndreaU]

Here's a very basic recipe that gets the job done. It's very simple.

Baked Ziti

8 ounces ziti
15 ounce container ricotta cheese
3 cups (about 12 ounces) shredded mozzarella,
divided
3 cups spaghetti sauce, divided (homemade or
bottled, whatever you prefer)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large pot, cook ziti in boiling water until just barely tender; drain and place in large bowl.
Mix ricotta cheese and 1/2 the mozzarella with the ziti. Cover the bottom of a 9x13" baking pan with cooking spray and spread 1/2 the sauce over the bottom. Put ziti with cheeses in pan; top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan and top with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until cheese melts and is lightly golden.

[Vanessa]

Since tomatoes and peppers are abundant now here is a simple recipe... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif
Tomato & pepper Ziti

8 oz. ziti
1 tsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 c. julienned, red, green and yellow bell peppers
1 c. chopped tomatoes
1 tsp. dried basil
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 c. skim-milk ricotta cheese
1 c. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium to large saute pan, heat oil over med. heat. Add garlic and saute for 1 min. Add peppers and saute 2 min. Add tomatoes and saute for 2 more min. Stir in basil, ground pepper, ricotta and mozzarella cheeses. Spoon over cooked pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan.

Serves 4.

[Susan]

Oh, thank you everyone who replied! I am overwhelmed with all these tempting baked ziti recipe! I will be trying them all in turn! Delicious!

Thanks!
Susan