BAKED ZITI

By cwagner

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ziti pasta
• kosher salt
• 3 1/2 c quick marinara sauce
• 1/2 c parmesan cheese
• 1/4 c. grated pecorino cheese
• 1 lb. fresh mozzarella, half cut into 1/2 cubes and half thinly sliced
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch of crushed red pepper
• 2 T EVOO
• 1/4 med. onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 3 1/2 c whole peeled, canned tomatoes in puree (28 oz can), roughly chopped
• pinch of thyme, basil
• 2 t. salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Details

Preparation time 20mins
Cooking time 60mins

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring large pot of water to a boil, salt generously, and boil the pasta until al dente, tender but still slightly firm. Drain.

For sauce, heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute the onion and garlic, stirring, until lightly browned, about 3 min. Add the tomatoes and the herbs and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 min.
Stir in the salt and season with pepper to taste.

In a large bowl toss the cooked pasta with the marinara sauce, 1/4 c. of the parmesan, the pecorino, and the cubed mozzarella pieces. Season with black pepper and red pepper to taste and mix until well combined. Transfer the pasta to an oiled 9 x 13 inch-baking dish. Cover the top of the pasta with the sliced mozzarella, and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan. Bake until lightly browned and hot, about 30 min.
Serve immediately.