Baked Ziti

By allie5jones

Ingredients

• 1 pound whole milk or 1 % cottage cheese
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 ounces grated Parmesan (about 1 1/2 cups)
• Table salt
• 1 pound ziti
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 5 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
• 1 tsp. sugar
• Ground black pepper
• 3/4 tsp. cornstarch
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces low-moister mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

Details

Servings 8

Preparation

Step 1

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Whish cottage cheese, eggs, and 1 cup Parmesan together in medium bowl; set aside. Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in large Dutch oven over high heat. Stir in 1 Tbsp salt and pasta; cook, stirring occasionally until pasta begins to soften but is not yet cooked through, 5-7 minutes. Drain pasta and leave in colander (do not wash Dutch oven).
2. Meanwhile heat oil and garlic in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until garlic is fragrant but not brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and oregano; simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in 1/2 cup basil and sugar, then season with salt and pepper.
3. Stir cornstarch into heavy cream in small bowl; transfer mixture to now-empty Dutch oven set over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, 3-4 minutes. Remove pot from heat and add cottage cheese mixture, 1 cup tomato sauce, and 3/4 cup mozzarella, then stir to combine. Add pasta and stir to coat thoroughly with sauce.
4. Transfer pasta mixture to 13 X 9 baking dish and spread remaining tomato sauce evenly over pasta. Sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan over top. Cover baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
5. Remove foil and continue cooking until cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes longer. Cool for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining basil and serve.