Mama Mancini's Recipes
Traditional Baked Ziti
Ingredients
- 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.