baked ziti...

noone is on recipe board... how do u make baked ziti. i figure if were going to be snowed in, im going to spend the day cooking a yummy meal

Re: baked ziti...

bump

Re: baked ziti...

Baked Ziti.....

1 stick unsalted butter
2 pounds ground turkey
2 medium jars spaghetti sauce with roasted garlic
Pinch dried oregano
Pinch dried parsley
Pinch salt, plus additional salt for pasta water
Pinch pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (1-pound) box rigatoni noodles
2 (1-pound) blocks mozzarella cheese (not the soft kind)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large skillet, melt half of the butter over medium heat. Add turkey and cook until browned. Add tomato sauce, oregano, parsley, salt, pepper, and onion and simmer until onion is tender.

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water until a little less than al dente. Drain and cool. Cut 1 of the blocks of cheese into cubes and slice the other into thin slices. Melt the remaining butter and pour into the bottom of a deep 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Pour 1 1/2 ladles full of the sauce into the dish, or enough to completely cover the bottom. Add a layer of pasta and then a layer of cubed cheese. Repeat layering until all ingredients are used.

Fill 1 of the empty sauce jars 1/8 full with water and shake. Pour over pasta. Top with the thin slices of cheese, and sprinkle with additional oregano and parsley, if desired. Cover casserole with foil and place in oven. Check every 15 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove foil for last 5 minutes of cooking to brown cheese.

Re: baked ziti...

Just asked DH since I don't cook. He never made it before we found this on allrecipes.com

Baked Ziti

Re: baked ziti...

we just use tomato sauce (either homemade or victoria, if we don't have time to make it!), some ziti and riccotta cheese. boil the pasta until cooked then mix in the sauce and ricotta - add a little basil, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper, then top with shredded mozzerella and cook covered in the oven for about 45 min- hr at 350.....

sorry its not a real recipe but so easy!!!

Re: baked ziti...

I don't really have a recipe written down for ziti-I usually just go with it. I vary the amounts depending on how many people. And I like my ziti very cheesy!! But, I'll try....

-cook 1lb of ziti (i like the ziti with the lines, it "holds" the sauce and cheese better) til al dente. Don't overcook or ziti will be mushy. I put the ziti back int pot with a little sauce to keep it from sticking.

-line bottom of baking dish with a little sauce (homemade or a good jar one) put a layer of the ziti in the pan. cover with blobs of ricotta, sprinkle some grated cheese and handfuls of cubed mozzarella (i buy a big block and cube it-and make a few thin slices for the top) and a little extra sauce.

I repeat these layers until finished. Usually 3 layers. For the top, I cover it with extra sauce and then slices of mozzarella. Bake at 350 covered for the first 30-40 min and then uncover to let the cheese on top brown and melt (another 15-20 min)
Hope this makes sense......

Ingredients:
1 lb ziti
1 block of mozzarella
1 large container ricotta cheese
grated cheese
sauce
garlic bread

Message edited 2/11/2006 11:44:14 AM.

Re: baked ziti...

I make it often, its easy, at least how I do it is.

1 lb. ground beef
2 lb Riocotta cheese
1 lb mozarella, cubed or shredded
1 box ziti macaroni
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
assorted spices, like oregano, basil, salt and pepper

Make macaroni according to box directions.
Brown ground beef and drain grease.

In a casserole dish, add cooked macaroni, ground beef, ricotta, mozarella, parmesan cheese, sauce and spices and mix well. Bake on 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

ETA: meat is optional. That's just how we like it, it tastes great with out it too!

Message edited 2/11/2006 12:17:08 PM.

Re: baked ziti...

This is the one thing I can actually cook. I love Baked Ziti!!!

Re: baked ziti...

I don't really have a recipe either, but I usually do what the girls above do. The only difference is that I add 2 eggs, oregano and a few dashes of pepper to the ricotta.