To make baked ziti, the general process includes cooking ziti pasta until al dente, preparing a meat and tomato sauce, mixing the pasta with some of the sauce and cheeses, layering everything in a baking dish often with ricotta cheese, then baking until the cheese on top is melted and golden. Here is a summarized step-by-step from a classic baked ziti recipe:
- Brown Italian sausage and/or ground beef with onions and garlic, season well, and simmer with crushed tomatoes, wine, basil, and vinegar to make a rich tomato sauce.
- Cook ziti pasta in salted boiling water until al dente, drain.
- Mix pasta with most of the meat sauce and shredded cheeses (fontina, provolone, mozzarella, or others).
- In a baking dish, spread some sauce, half the pasta mixture, then the ricotta cheese mixture (ricotta with basil, olive oil, salt, pepper), Parmesan, then the rest of the pasta, sauce, and remaining cheese on top.
- Bake on the middle rack in an oven until the cheese topping is melted and golden.
- Let it rest briefly before serving.
This method creates a comforting oven-baked pasta casserole with layers of pasta, meat sauce, and melted cheese. The ricotta adds a creamy middle layer, and a mix of cheeses creates gooey melted goodness on top. Would a full detailed recipe with exact ingredient amounts and instructions be helpful? Or is a general outline like this sufficient? This overview is based on several detailed recipes from sources like Chef Billy Parisi and others.
