Ingredients: |
Ingredients: Marinara Sauce: 4 Tablespoons olive oil ½ onion finely chopped 6 cloves garlic minced 2 cans 28 oz Contadina tomatoes in puree 2 teaspoons basil ¾ teaspoon thyme 1½ teaspoons oregano freshly ground pepper to taste Will need just a tad of sugar if tomatoes are really tart One recipe makes one baked ziti but you can make a pot full to freeze for later use. To taste, you can add ground beef, chicken, zucchini, carrots, mushrooms etc.
Baked Ziti: 1 pound dry ziti pasta marinara sauce ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese ¼ cup grated pecorino Romano cheese (or use a mixture of the 2 cheeses if you find them together) 1 pound fresh mozzarella, half cut into small cubes and the other half sliced thinly pinch of crushed red pepper to taste Fresh ground pepper to taste
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Directions: |
Directions:For marinara sauce put garlic and onion in olive oil and cook over medium heat about 3 minutes until soft and slightly brown. Add tomatoes and seasonings and simmer on low for as long as you like but at least an hour. One recipe of marinara makes one baked ziti.
To assemble baked ziti: Preheat oven to 400°. Cook pasta per instructions until al dente, tender but still slightly firm. In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta with the marinara sauce, ¼ cup of the Parmesan, the pecorino and the cubed mozzarella. Transfer to an oiled 9 x 13 deep baking dish. Cover the top with the sliced mozzarella and sprinkle the remaining Parmesan. Bake until slightly browned and hot - about 30 minutes and serve immediately |