Baked Ziti Recipe

My baked ziti has been a part of my family’s holiday tradition for as long as I can remember. Below is my recipe. I hope it makes it to your holiday table and becomes a family tradition.

– Daniel Mancini

You’ll need:

• 1 lb ziti
• 1 lb shredded mozzarella
• 3/4 cup grated pecorino romano cheese
• 2-28 oz cans of whole Italian plum tomatoes, crushed by hand
• 1 lb of ricotta cheese, liquid drained
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves sliced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp butter

Directions:

1. In a large pot, add the olive oil, garlic, onion, salt, and put the heat on medium.
2. Once the onion is translucent, add the crushed tomatoes. Allow this to come to a boil and then lower the heat to allow it to cook for 15 minutes on a low boil, uncovered.
3. Stir several times. Remove from the heat, stir in the butter, and let this cool.
4. Reserve 1/2 cup of mozzarella, 1/2 cup of ricotta, 1/4 cup of the Romano, 1 cup of sauce.
5. Now add the rest of the ricotta cheese, Romano cheese, shredded mozzarella cheese, and sauce to a large bowl, and mix this all together.
6. Cook your ziti for half of the recommended time.
7. Strain and add it to the bowl of cheese mixture. Fold it all together.
8. Put the pasta into a 9″x13″ baking dish. Top with remaining Romano, mozzarella, and ricotta.
9. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 30-45 minutes.Tip: I like mine to get crispy on the edges.

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