Carl Cooks: Baked Ziti With Ricotta & Mozzarella & RAO's Homemade Sauce

I love Ziti and have tried many recipes for the baked version. This one from the Williams Sonoma Pasta Cookbook is my personal favorite. And while I have your attention I have to send props out to one of the best lines of jarred pasta sauces ever called RAO'S. If you've got the time and chops to make your own tomato sauce, great. Otherwise, don't waste your five bucks on most of the ones on the shelf. RAO's is an exceptional one available at most of the better food outlets. It will cost you $8.00 to $10.00 a jar but it is well worth the extra cost.

This dish is super easy to make and all it takes is the stuff I've lined up here.

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 Pound Dried Ziti
1 Jar of Marinara Sauce (RAO'S preferred)
Ricotta Cheese (15 ounces)
Mozzarella Cheese (16 ounces)
Pecorino Romano Cheese (about 5 ounces)
1 egg yoke
Freshly ground nutmeg (generous pinch)
Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley (handful)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

WHAT TO PREP:

Get large pot of water boiling and salted
Cut Mozarella into small cubes
Grate Pecorino Romano
Separate egg yoke from white
Fine Chop Parsley




Mix Ricotta, 1/2 Pecorino Romano, Parsley & egg yoke well in large bowl

Use microplane to grate the nutmeg right into the mixture
Boil Ziti per package instructions, then drain well
Warm tomato sauce
Fold cooked Ziti and Mozzarella cubes and warmed sauce into the cheese mix

HOW TO FINISH:

Pre Heat Oven to 425 degrees

Transfer mixture into Olive Oil prepared baking dish

Top with remaining Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese

Drizzle with Olive Oil

Cook about 25 minutes until golden/crisp/bubbly

What makes this so tasty is the tubular shape of the pasta. It fills up with all of the deliciousness of the sweet Ricotta and tomato sauce. The nutmeg is there just in the background and the Mozzarella chunks melt nicely to add heft and satisfaction. This dish is so rich and bold that I normally just pair it with a light salad. The one shown here is a simple mix of watercress leaves, finely chopped leeks and thinly shaved fennel tossed with just extra virgin olive oil/sea salt/ freshly ground pepper.


Try baked Ziti for a change. It has all of the comfort of Macaroni & Cheese but with the added sweetness of tomato sauce.