# ISO your best Baked Ziti recipe!



## buckytom (Dec 9, 2008)

heya folks. i'm catering/organizing my department's christmas party again this year on thursday. it'll be the usual fare of cookies, chips and nuts, mixed salad, sausages and meatballs in a chunky garden style sauce, a spiral sliced baked ham, 2 pasta dishes, and a sheet cake, apple pie, and coffee.

for the patsas: i made 2 trays of sausage and cheese lasagna last year, along with a tray pasta primavera - which were a big hit, but i was asked this year to make baked ziti instead of the lasagna.

so, i was wondering if there's any of you out there that have a great baked ziti recipe, or any helpful tips or tricks that you can post?

thanks in advance for your help.


----------



## jkath (Dec 9, 2008)

hmmm - not sure - why don't you make a couple different trays and send them to me and I'll let you know which I like best


----------



## *amy* (Dec 9, 2008)

This is, by far, one of the bestest, IMO:

GOONS WITH SPOONS - Baked Ziti

Another way to go is a cheesy baked ziti with bread cumbs on top (almost a mac n cheese) - w a basic white sauce/bechamel & nutmeg & adding several cheeses to the mix.


----------



## buckytom (Dec 9, 2008)

lol, jkath.

wow! thanks amy. neat site with good pictures. that's pretty much how i figured to make baked ziti, except i think i'll nix the meatballs since i'll be serving a tray of meatballs and sausage. i like the addition of a layer of provolone.
i've never actually made a baked ziti before, so the pictures are a big help. thanks again.

i was thinking of adding fresh basil, and maybe some chopped sundried tomatoes.


----------



## QSis (Dec 9, 2008)

When I read BT's recipe request, I was thinking to myself "well, baked ziti is nice, but I would miss the MEAT!". 

Then I read amy's recipe. Man, that looks and sounds fantastic!

Plus, the name of the recipe is good enough reason to make it! 

Lee


----------



## Lefty7887 (Dec 9, 2008)

Thanks Amy, I going to give that one a try it looks great.


----------



## Loprraine (Dec 9, 2008)

Here's my favourite, from the sopranos Cookbook (geez, it's the second time I've mentioned it here today!)

From the 'Soprano Family Cookbook'. Recipes by Michele Scicolone.

 Ziti al Forno - serves 8-12

 1 lb ziti
 salt 
 Sunday Gravy made with little meatballs (like 1/2")
 1 c freshly grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano
 1 c ricotta
 8 oz mozzarella, cut into small dice

 Make you favorite spaghetti sauce with little meatballs unless you want me to xerox their recipe for Sunday Gravy.

 Boil ziti with salt until al dente, in 4 qts water.

 Remove the meatballs from the spaghetti sauce.

 Drain the ziti and put it in a large bowl. Toss it with about 3 cups of the sauce and half of the grated cheese. Stir in the meatballs.

 Preheat the oven to 350.

 Spoon 1/2 the ziti into a shallow 3 1/2 quart baking dish. Spread the ricotta on top and sprinkle with the mozzarella and 1/2 of the remaining grated cheese. Pour on 1 cup of the sauce. Top with the remaining ziti and another cup of sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese. Cover the dish with foil. (can be refrigerated for several hours, or overnight, at this point. Remove from the refrigeator about 30 minutes before baking).

 Bake the ziti for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15-30 minutes longer, or until the center is hot and the sauce is bubbling around the edges. Cover and let stand for 15 min before serving.


OOPs, it' doesn't say how to make the gravy or meatballs.  Let me know if yuo're interested!


----------



## bethzaring (Dec 9, 2008)

Loprraine said:


> Remove the meatballs from the spaghetti sauce.
> 
> 
> 
> OOPs, it' doesn't say how to make the gravy or meatballs. Let me know if yuo're interested!


 

I'm having company for dinner on Saturday and thought baked ziti sounded good, never made it before, but, why remove the meatballs from the sauce?

And I am interested in the meatball recipe, I have my own sauce.
Thanks!


----------



## VeraBlue (Dec 9, 2008)

Don't completely mix the ricotta into the pasta.  Instead, put lots of dollops into the pasta (which has already been sauced and placed into the baking dish).   Into the ricotta mix 1 egg per pound of ricotta, 1/8 c. chopped fresh parsley, and 2 T grated cheese, and cracked black pepper.   Spoon a bit more sauce on top, then cover with grated mozzarella.


----------



## buckytom (Dec 10, 2008)

thanks very much, loppraine and vb.

new plan: i'm now requested to make 1 baked ziti, 1 lasagna. plus all of the other stuff (75 meatballs, 10 lbs. of hot and sweet sausage, a coupla gallons of sauce, etc. etc.), so i'll be very busy tonight. 

i'm going to add meat to the lasagna, and keep the ziti plain.

vb, i bought some fresh basil and fresh parsley to use in either the ziti or the lasagna, or some of each in both or either. 
which do you think would work better: just the parsley in the meatless ziti, and some of both in the lasagna? or should i use a mix in both, or just one in each?


----------



## ronjohn55 (Dec 10, 2008)

buckytom said:


> thanks very much, loppraine and vb.
> 
> new plan: i'm now requested to make 1 baked ziti, 1 lasagna. plus all of the other stuff (75 meatballs, 10 lbs. of hot and sweet sausage, a coupla gallons of sauce, etc. etc.), so i'll be very busy tonight.
> 
> ...



Bucky, can you come do the holiday pot luck at my office? Please?


----------



## Lisar (Dec 10, 2008)

jkath said:


> hmmm - not sure - why don't you make a couple different trays and send them to me and I'll let you know which I like best



I will help taste them. I love ziti. Yummy.


----------



## toni1948 (Dec 10, 2008)

Sounds like a great party.  Wish I could snag an invite!!


----------



## Arwen (Dec 10, 2008)

Ziti,  as  far  as I  know,  might  be  served  with a   tomato  dressing  sauce  with  grounded  meat  and  sausages,that  cook  togheter with  tha tomato sauce,my  father  adds  peperoncino/chilly, bolied eggs  on top, some  bechamelle,mozzarellas and  some  parmisan cheese.


----------



## Loprraine (Dec 10, 2008)

> keep the ziti plain


Do you mean a plain tomato sauce?  If so, i would definitely add some of the fresh basil to it.  

I think it says to remove them for the sauce, as it's a recipe for Sunday Gravy.  The meatballs are cooked in the pot, so if you wanted to make the ziti, one would have to remove some of the meatballs and gravy for that dish.

Beth, I'll try to post the recipe for the meatballs tongiht. 

VB is correct ( as usual ) about how to add the ricotta.  Dollops are good.


----------



## VeraBlue (Dec 10, 2008)

buckytom said:


> thanks very much, loppraine and vb.
> 
> new plan: i'm now requested to make 1 baked ziti, 1 lasagna. plus all of the other stuff (75 meatballs, 10 lbs. of hot and sweet sausage, a coupla gallons of sauce, etc. etc.), so i'll be very busy tonight.
> 
> ...




Use the parsley in the ricotta, put the basil in the sauce.


----------



## buckytom (Dec 11, 2008)

lisar, toni, and ronjohn, you'd better get here soon. it's almost all gone!

and thanks again, vb. i put the basil in the sunday gravy, towards the end of cooking. also, some torn basil went into one of the lasagna layers.

i made the ziti as you suggested, with parsley in the ricotta and egg mixture, then added it to the sauced pasta in dollops. came out great!


----------



## Jeekinz (Dec 11, 2008)

Mine is pretty easy, maybe not even typical baked ziti.

I just make a basic meat sauce with penne, fully cooked.  Plop it in a baking dish and load the top up with shredded mozzarella and parmesan.  Baked at 375 until the cheese is gooey and a little brown.


----------



## Constance (Dec 11, 2008)

Jeekinz said:


> Mine is pretty easy, maybe not even typical baked ziti.
> 
> I just make a basic meat sauce with penne, fully cooked.  Plop it in a baking dish and load the top up with shredded mozzarella and parmesan.  Baked at 375 until the cheese is gooey and a little brown.




Now you're speakin' my language!


----------

