Baked Ziti

Today a guy at work brought in the best baked ziti I've ever tasted. He recently moved here from New York, and learned to cook from his Italian grandma. I talked him into sharing the recipe.

1 lb. ziti pasta

1 large can & 1 small can tomato puree
1 bell pepper
1 small onion
4-6 cloves chopped garlic
1 tomato
3 grilled dinner sausages
1 lb mozzarella
1 lb ricotta
¼ lb parmesan
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Basil
Salt

Pepper

Sauté the garlic in oil till just before it turns brown. Then throw in the onions and the peppers, turn down the heat a little, cover, and let soften a little. Once the veggies are softer, throw in the tomatoes, and add basil, salt, and pepper. Stir frequently and try to keep covered, turn the heat up if needed. After everything is mixed together well (probably about 15-20 mins), and you can see the juices from the veggies, pour in the tomato puree and stir. Cut up your grilled sausage and throw it in. Stir repeatedly to get everything mixed well. Your house should smell amazing at this point by the way. For the most part you are done creating the sauce and just need to monitor it. Make sure things aren’t sticking to the bottom of the pot, that kind of thing. I usually put it on low, cover it, and stir about every 5-10 minutes. You can leave it on there as long as you’d like. Another 20 mins, 2 hours, a day, its really up to you. My grandmother treats her sauce like whisky, the older the better, but really it should taste amazing in about 20 -30 minutes. Remember to taste your sauce as you cook. I like to keep some bread next to the pot for dipping. Its all about tasting as you go!

Once you throw in the sausage you can start with the pasta if you don’t anticipate cooking the sauce for a long time. Once the pasta and the sauce are cooked, throw the pasta in a large mixing bowl, then spoon in the ricotta cheese and mozzarella (shredded or cubed). Save a little mozz for the top. Throw in ¾ of the sauce, and mix until pink and blended. Line a baking tray with a thin layer of sauce and then spoon in your ziti mixture. Throw the remainder of the sauce on top and cover with mozz and the parmesan cheeses. If everything is still hot, you can put right in the oven at 375 for about ½ hour or until the middle is warm and the top is browning.

The beauty about this meal is if you want you can make it, refrigerate it, and cook later. If you do, cover it loosely with foil so the cheese doesn’t stick and cook for 45-60 mins at 375 or until the middle is hot and the top is browning (take the foil off about ½ way through).

I know it’s a little rough, but you should be able to wing the unclear parts. That’s the beauty of my family’s cooking…improvising!