I found a really implausible model of baked ziti in 2017 after I began cooking from Colu Henry’s Again Pocket Pasta. Large, hearty, family-style pastas are a terrific love of mine, however my baked ziti makes an attempt had been all the time simply so-so. I struggled with total cohesiveness, and the ricotta combination all the time tended to bake up just a little drier than I hoped. Colu’s method was a game-changer. She recommends a 50/50 mix of ricotta and creme fraîche in her recipe – it retains the whole lot silky and wealthy, and I’ve by no means regarded again. And yep, bitter cream may also work in a pinch.
What Makes Nice Baked Ziti?
If you wish to make the very best baked ziti, concentrate on two issues: how lengthy you cook dinner the pasta, and nailing a terrific sauce. The sauce is king right here. You need to use good, flavorful tomatoes, and also you need to let the whole lot simmer down right into a thick, chunky, vibrant pink 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. If you happen to overcook through the preliminary boil, the pasta will change into too smooth and unstructured.
Baked Ziti: The Substances
- 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 seek out tbh. For a little bit of added vitamin, discover entire wheat pastas, or pasta made with lentils or chickpeas. As I’ve talked about in earlier pasta recipes, a without end favourite of mine is the Monograno Felicetti Farro Penne Rigate. You may even make baked ziti gluten-free by swapping in one of many GF pastas.
- Child spinach: One observe 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, however you possibly can for those who like.
- Canned tomatoes: Search for good-quality diced canned tomatoes. Notice that you just’ll want each a 28-ounce *and* a 14-ounce can. I are likely to seize fire-roasted for this recipe, however you don’t need to!
- Sausage: I not often purchase or cook dinner with faux meat, however that is one recipe the place I exploit Unattainable sausage for the meat element. It simply helps verify all of the packing containers for a giant, 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 pink sauce with sausage posted beneath.
- Cheeses: Three cheese are in play right here. Use recent mozzarella if attainable. It’ll sometimes be in liquid, and any dimension is ok – you’ll be tearing it into smaller items. For the grated cheese Colu recommends Pecorino Romano, however for those who are likely to preserve 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 get pleasure from 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 personal, you possibly can 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 need to use 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 known as Bomba di Calabria) to the sauce after including the spinach. Go simple, 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 can 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 penning this the Unattainable sausage is GF, however double verify – in case you’re utilizing one other model or their product modifications.
- Baked Ziti with Mushrooms: I do a model of this baked ziti utilizing this mushroom ragù, and it’s equally implausible. 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.
- Toss in Some Wildcards: Plenty of 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 embody the next: torn olives, plenty of lemon or orange zest, further 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 sometimes eat half and freeze half leading to simple meals within the coming weeks. The easiest way I’ve discovered to freeze baked ziti is to start out by refrigerating your baked ziti till it is extremely chilly. This makes it simple to slice into exact, particular person parts. Prepare the parts on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze till strong. Switch to freezer luggage for as much as 6 weeks. Reheat, lined in foil, on a baking sheet (or in baking pan), in a 375F oven till bubbly and sizzling all through.
Again Pocket Pasta & Colu
Colu’s archives are a gold-mine of low raise, fabulous meals. Within the years since Again Pocket Pasta was printed, she additionally wrote Colu Cooks: Simple Fancy Meals. You want somebody like Colu Henry in your life. When Again Pocket Pasta was printed, I wrote, “She’s a type of fashionable mates who will let you know the place to attain the prettiest clothes, show you how to ebook the very best journey locations, and fortunately level you towards your subsequent good learn.” She’s the queen of bringing easy fashion 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 may observe her right here and right here.
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