I found a very unbelievable model of baked ziti in 2017 once I began cooking from Colu Henry’s Again Pocket Pasta. Large, hearty, family-style pastas are an amazing love of mine, however my baked ziti makes an attempt have been all the time simply so-so. I struggled with total cohesiveness, and the ricotta combination all the time tended to bake up a little bit drier than I hoped. Colu’s approach was a game-changer. She recommends a 50/50 mix of ricotta and creme fraîche in her recipe – it retains every little thing silky and wealthy, and I’ve by no means regarded again. And yep, bitter cream will even work in a pinch.
What Makes Nice Baked Ziti?
If you wish to make the perfect baked ziti, give attention to two issues: how lengthy you prepare dinner the pasta, and the sauce. The sauce is king right here. You need to use good, flavorful tomatoes, and also you need to let every little thing simmer down right into a thick, chunky, vibrant crimson sauce. A little bit of endurance is essential. See the sauce within the photograph beneath? Hold simmering. On the pasta entrance, keep away from over-cooking within the preliminary stage, the boil. The ziti will proceed cooking because the pasta bakes – you need to arrive on the end line with excellent pasta. In the event you overcook throughout the preliminary boil, the pasta will grow to be too gentle and unstructured.
Baked Ziti: The Components
- Dried ziti pasta: Use a good-quality dried pasta right here. Ziti is the namesake form to make use of, however penne is a legit various and simpler to search out tbh. For a little bit of added diet, discover entire wheat pastas, or pasta made with lentils or chickpeas. As I’ve talked about in earlier pasta recipes, a perpetually favourite of mine is the Monograno Felicetti Farro Penne Rigate. You’ll be able to even make baked ziti gluten-free by swapping in one of many GF pastas.
- Child spinach: One notice right here, in case your child spinach has lengthy thick stems, go forward and snap the most important offenders off. Apart from that I don’t hassle chopping or fussing.
- Canned tomatoes: Search for good-quality diced canned tomatoes. Be aware that you simply’ll want each a 28-ounce *and* a 14-ounce can. I are inclined to seize fire-roasted for this recipe, however you don’t must!
- Sausage: I hardly ever purchase or prepare dinner with pretend meat, however that is one recipe the place I exploit Unattainable sausage for the meat element. It simply helps verify all of the containers for an enormous, family-style baked ziti that everybody can get on board with. One other various is to make use of this mushroom ragù as your sauce, instead of the crimson sauce with sausage posted beneath.Â
- Cheeses: Three cheese are in play right here. Use recent mozzarella if potential. It’ll usually be in liquid, and any dimension is okay – you’ll be tearing it into smaller items. For the grated cheese Colu recommends Pecorino Romano, however in case you are inclined to maintain Parmesan readily available, go forward and use that – freshly grated. And the ricotta performs one other key roll right here, so use one you’d take pleasure in consuming straight – on a cracker or slice of toast.
- Creme fraîche: The wildcard on this baked ziti is the addition of creme fraîche. To make your individual, you may add 1 tablespoon of cultured buttermilk or yogurt to a cup of heavy cream. Stir effectively, cowl with a clear dishtowel, and permit to take a seat out in your counter for 12 hours or so, till it thickens. Refrigerate till prepared to make use of. Alternately, you should utilize bitter cream right here. It’s tangier, however in a great way!
Variations
Listed below are some favourite variations on this baked ziti that I’ve cooked over time.
- Make it Spicy: To make this baked ziti feisty and spicy, add a little bit of spicy Calabrian pepper paste (the one I purchase most is named Bomba di Calabria) to the sauce after including the spinach. Go straightforward, a few of these pastes are wildly spicy. But additionally go stronger than you may in any other case as a result of the sauce might be minimize with all that dairy. Style and alter.
- Make it Gluten Free: You can also make this recipe gluten-free by utilizing GF pasta instead of conventional pasta. On the time I’m scripting this the Unattainable sausage is GF, however double verify – in case you’re utilizing one other model or their product adjustments.
- Baked Ziti with Mushrooms: I do a model of this baked ziti utilizing this mushroom ragù, and it’s equally unbelievable. Principally, fill a 12-inch skillet to 1/2-inch or so beneath the rim, and stir within the 5 ounces or spinach. Then proceed with the recipe as written. Principally, don’t skimp on the quantity of sauce you’re utilizing. https://www.101cookbooks.com/mushroom-ragu/
- Toss in Some Wildcards: Numerous instances when making baked ziti, I’ll toss substances in on a whim. No matter I’ve at hand. A number of of the extra profitable additions embrace the next: torn olives, numerous lemon or orange zest, additional spinach or herbs, deeply caramelized onions, goat cheese instead of half the mozzarella.
Baked Ziti: Make Forward Suggestions
This recipe makes a giant pan of baked ziti. We usually eat half and freeze half leading to straightforward meals within the coming weeks. One of the simplest ways I’ve discovered to freeze baked ziti is to start out by refrigerating your baked ziti till it is extremely chilly. This makes it straightforward to slice into exact, particular person parts. Prepare the parts on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze till strong. Switch to freezer baggage for as much as 6 weeks. Reheat, coated in foil, on a baking sheet (or in baking pan), in a 375F oven till bubbly and scorching all through.
Again Pocket Pasta & Colu
Colu’s archives are a gold-mine of low carry, fabulous meals. Within the years since Again Pocket Pasta was revealed, she additionally wrote Colu Cooks: Straightforward Fancy Meals. You want somebody like Colu Henry in your life. When Again Pocket Pasta was revealed, I wrote, “She’s a type of fashionable associates who will inform you the place to attain the prettiest clothes, aid you guide the perfect journey locations, and fortunately level you towards your subsequent good learn.” She’s the queen of bringing easy model to the weeknight dinner desk and her books are brimming with informal recipes achievable with little greater than a fairly stocked pantry and a little bit of seasonal aptitude. You’ll be able to comply with her right here and right here.
Extra Pasta Recipes
Â
101 Cookbooks Membership
Premium Advert-Free membership contains:
-Advert-free content material
-Print-friendly recipes
–Spice / Herb / Flower / Zest recipe assortment PDF
–Weeknight Specific recipe assortment PDF
-Shock bonuses all year long
