Oven-baked ziti with three cheeses
6 Servings
Ingredients
| Quantity | Ingredient | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | tablespoons | Olive oil |
| 1 | Onion; chopped | |
| 2 | Garlic; chopped | |
| 1 | teaspoon | Fennel seeds |
| ⅓ | cup | Tomato paste |
| 1 | Tomato sauce | |
| 1 | cup | Water |
| 1 | teaspoon | Dried oregano leaves; crumbled |
| ½ | teaspoon | Dried sage; rubbed |
| ½ | cup | Parmesan cheese; grated |
| 8 | ounces | Mozzarella cheese; grated |
| 12 | ounces | Freshly cooked ziti or |
| Other tubular pasta | ||
| 1 | Egg | |
Directions
Heat oil in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and fennel seeds and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Mix in tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add tomato sauce, water, oregano and sage. Simmer until mixture thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in ¼ cup parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 450. Butter 9x13 inch glass baking dish. In medium bowl combine ricotta cheese and egg. Reserve ¼ cup mozzarella cheese for topping. Add remaining mozzarella to ricotta cheese mixture and blend. season with salt and pepper.
Spread ¼ of tomato sauce over bottom of prepared dish. Layer ⅓ of pasta over. Drop half of ricotta cheese mixture over by spoonfuls.
Spread ¼ of sauce over. Repeat layering with another ⅓ of pasta, remaining cheese mixture, ¼ of sauce and remaining pasta. Spread remaining sauce over and sprinkle with reserved mozzarella and remaning ¼ cup parmesan.
(Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Cover and bake until heated through, about 40 minutes.
Contributor: Bon Appetit