Here's an easy faux baked ziti that tastes like you spent all day working on it.
What You Need:
-
- 1 pound dry ziti
- Kosher salt to taste
- 3 fourteen ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 pound sweet, mild, or hot Italian ground sausage
- 2 large onion, finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup finely minced fresh parsley leaves
- 1 pound ricotta cheese
- 1 pound low-moisture skim milk mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 3 ounces roughly grated Parmigiano cheese
What You Do:
- Cook pasta according to instructions.
- Blend tomatoes until smooth with some chunks left. Reserve 3/4 cup and put the rest in a large bowl.
- Add cream and chicken stock. Season to taste with salt.
- In a 12-inch cast iron skillet, heat butter and oil.
- Add sausage, cooking until no longer pink.
- Add onion and garlic, simmer on low for 5 minutes.
- Add oregano, red pepper flakes, and parsley. Cook about 1 minute.
- Add tomato and heavy cream mixture to skillet.
- Add ricotta, mozzerella, parmigiano cheeses, stir gently.
- Cook for five minutes.
- Drain pasta and put on platter.
- Cover with sauce and serve.
You get the taste of a nice baked ziti without the chore of cleaning a baking dish crusted with spaghetti sauce. Enjoy!
Iron Noder 2017