I found a really incredible model of baked ziti in 2017 once I began cooking from Colu Henry’s Again Pocket Pasta. Large, hearty, family-style pastas are an incredible love of mine, however my baked ziti makes an attempt had been all the time simply so-so. I struggled with general cohesiveness, and the ricotta combination all the time tended to bake up slightly drier than I hoped. Colu’s approach was a game-changer. She recommends a 50/50 mix of ricotta and creme fraîche in her recipe – it retains every part silky and wealthy, and I’ve by no means appeared again. And yep, bitter cream may also work in a pinch.

What Makes Nice Baked Ziti?

If you wish to make the very best baked ziti, give attention to two issues: how lengthy you cook dinner the pasta, and nailing an incredible sauce. The sauce is king right here. You wish to use good, flavorful tomatoes, and also you wish to let every part simmer down right into a thick, chunky, vibrant crimson sauce. A little bit of persistence is vital. See the sauce within the picture beneath? Preserve simmering. On the pasta entrance, keep away from over-cooking within the preliminary stage, the boil. The ziti will proceed cooking because the pasta bakes – you wish to arrive on the end line with excellent pasta. In the event you overcook throughout the preliminary boil, the pasta will grow to be too comfortable and unstructured.

Baked Ziti: The Components

• Dried ziti pasta: Use a good-quality dried pasta right here. Ziti is the namesake form to make use of, however penne is a legit different and simpler to search out tbh. For a little bit of added diet, discover entire wheat pastas, or pasta made with lentils or chickpeas. As I’ve talked about in earlier pasta recipes, a without end favourite of mine is the Monograno Felicetti Farro Penne Rigate. You may even make baked ziti gluten-free by swapping in one of many GF pastas.
• Child spinach: One word right here, in case your child spinach has lengthy thick stems, go forward and snap the most important offenders off. Except for that I don’t trouble chopping or fussing, however you possibly can for those who like.
• Canned tomatoes: Search for good-quality diced canned tomatoes. Notice that you just’ll want each a 28-ounce *and* a 14-ounce can. I are likely to seize fire-roasted for this recipe, however you don’t need to!
  
  
• Sausage: I not often purchase or cook dinner with pretend meat, however that is one recipe the place I exploit Inconceivable sausage for the meat element. It simply helps test all of the packing containers for an enormous, family-style baked ziti that everybody can get on board with. One other different is to make use of this mushroom ragù as your sauce, instead of the crimson sauce with sausage posted beneath. 
• Cheeses: Three cheese are in play right here. Use contemporary mozzarella if potential. It’ll sometimes be in liquid, and any measurement is okay – you’ll be tearing it into smaller items. For the grated cheese Colu recommends Pecorino Romano, however for those who are likely to preserve Parmesan readily available, go forward and use that – freshly grated. And the ricotta performs one other key roll right here, so use one you’d get pleasure from consuming straight – on a cracker or slice of toast.
  
  
• Creme fraîche: The wildcard on this baked ziti is the addition of creme fraîche. To make your individual, you possibly can add 1 tablespoon of cultured buttermilk or yogurt to a cup of heavy cream. Stir nicely, cowl with a clear dishtowel, and permit to sit down out in your counter for 12 hours or so, till it thickens. Refrigerate till prepared to make use of. Alternately, you should utilize bitter cream right here. It’s tangier, however in a great way!

Variations

Listed here are some favourite variations on this baked ziti that I’ve cooked through the years.

• Make it Spicy: To make this baked ziti feisty and spicy, add a little bit of spicy Calabrian pepper paste (the one I purchase most is known as Bomba di Calabria) to the sauce after including the spinach. Go straightforward, a few of these pastes are wildly spicy. But additionally go stronger than you may in any other case as a result of the sauce might be lower with all that dairy. Style and regulate.
• Make it Gluten Free: You can also make this recipe gluten-free by utilizing GF pasta instead of conventional pasta. On the time I’m scripting this the Inconceivable sausage is GF, however double test – in case you’re utilizing one other model or their product adjustments.
• Baked Ziti with Mushrooms: I do a model of this baked ziti utilizing this mushroom ragù, and it’s equally incredible. Mainly, fill a 12-inch skillet to 1/2-inch or so beneath the rim, and stir within the 5 ounces or spinach. Then proceed with the recipe as written. Mainly, don’t skimp on the quantity of sauce you’re utilizing. 
• Toss in Some Wildcards: A whole lot of occasions when making baked ziti, I’ll toss elements in on a whim. No matter I’ve at hand. Just a few of the extra profitable additions embrace the next: torn olives, plenty of lemon or orange zest, additional spinach or herbs, deeply caramelized onions, goat cheese instead of half the mozzarella.

Baked Ziti: Make Forward Suggestions

This recipe makes a massive pan of baked ziti. We sometimes eat half and freeze half leading to straightforward meals within the coming weeks. One of the simplest ways I’ve discovered to freeze baked ziti is to start out by refrigerating your baked ziti till it is vitally chilly. This makes it straightforward to slice into exact, particular person parts. Organize the parts on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze till stable. Switch to freezer luggage for as much as 6 weeks. Reheat, lined in foil, on a baking sheet (or in baking pan), in a 375F oven till bubbly and scorching all through.

Again Pocket Pasta & Colu

Colu’s archives are a gold-mine of low carry, fabulous meals. Within the years since Again Pocket Pasta was revealed, she additionally wrote Colu Cooks: Simple Fancy Meals. You want somebody like Colu Henry in your life. When Again Pocket Pasta was revealed, I wrote, “She’s a kind of trendy buddies who will inform you the place to attain the prettiest attire, enable you e book the very best journey locations, and fortunately level you towards your subsequent good learn.” She’s the queen of bringing easy model to the weeknight dinner desk and her books are brimming with informal recipes achievable with little greater than a fairly stocked pantry and a little bit of seasonal aptitude. You may comply with her right here and right here.

Extra Pasta Recipes

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