Some days you just need a simple, yet wonderfully flavorful dish. And if you’re like me, the first thing that comes to mind is a delicious pasta bake. Baked ziti is exactly that. It’s a staple of Southern Italian cuisine, and once you try it, you’ll understand why. Thankfully, you recreate this icon with our recipe. Read below to find out more.
Baked Ziti: A Classic with Star Potential
Baked ziti is not only a staple of Italian home cooking, but also a small culinary, pop-culture monument. It basically deserved co-star billing on “The Sopranos,” after all. Whether you’re a long-time long-term ziti lover, or a baked ziti neophyte, you’d be remiss to miss out on our recipe. It’s simple and sure to give you fantastic results and a delicious dinner.
Let’s start wit the main ingredient: Ziti is a long, tubular, and hollow pasta. They are longer than macaroni, but not curved. Incidentally, ziti is derived from the Neapolitan “zita,” which stands for “bride,” as ziti is traditionally prepared for weddings. If you can’t find the pasta easily, penne will also do. The main thing is making sure that you have a pasta shape that will absorb the sauce well.
Another important role in the casserole is played by pancetta, an Italian bacon. The salted, unsmoked, and air-dried bacon is a versatile ingredient in numerous Italian recipes. Compared to traditional breakfast bacon, it has a slightly milder flavor.
If you can’t find pancetta, simply go for bacon and/or ham of your taste. Or swap it out with smoked tofu. If going down the plant-based route, use a vegan alternative in place of the ground beef. In no time and with little effort, you’ll have a vegetarian version of baked ziti. The main thing after all, is that by the end of the day, with this recipe, you’ll have a dinner that you truly enjoy!
If you’re now craving even more oven-baked dishes and casseroles, you’re in good hands here at Scrumdiddlyumptious. Our Greek feta bake, chicken and broccoli casserole with feta, and Indian potato casserole are all delicious dishes for those days when time is short and energy is low.
Baked Ziti
Ingredients
- 1 red onion
- 3.5 oz pancetta or bacon, diced
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- ½ cup red wine such as Primitivo
- 1.1 lb ziti or penne
- 7 oz cherry tomatoes
- 1 lb crushed tomatoes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3.5 oz Parmesan cheese
- 1 bunch fresh basil
- 7 oz mozzarella
Instructions
- Peel and finely chop the onion. Also, finely chop the pancetta.
- Heat about 1 tbsp of oil in a large skillet. Sauté the onions and pancetta until softened.
- Add the ground beef and deglaze with red wine. Bring to a boil.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions in salted water. Cook it for about 2 minutes less than indicated on the package, then drain and rinse. Reserve about 2 tbsp of the pasta water and add it to the meat sauce.
- Wash and halve the cherry tomatoes.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and cherry tomatoes to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper, simmer for about 10 minutes, and preheat oven to 350°F.
- Wash the basil and pluck the leaves.
- Lightly grease a baking dish with oil. Add the remaining third of the pasta and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
- Spread the pasta-sauce mixture over the pasta, tear the mozzarella into pieces, and distribute it evenly on top. Add a few basil leaves.
- Bake the casserole for about 30 minutes, or until the mozzarella is lightly browned.