Christmas week!
I can’t believe it! What are you all up to these next few days? Christmas shopping? Wrapping? Are the kids off of school? All of my littles are home for the next couple of weeks on Winter break. And even though we don’t have many plans, I know the time will fly by so fast.
But while many of us are at home (hopefully) enjoying these slow, lazy days, I couldn’t think of a better time for you to try a new dish! And I’ve had this recipe in my back pocket since last Winter, so it is very overdue. Whoops! So if the Mac & Cheese didn’t pique your interest, this surely will.
Basically what we have is a large pan of extra creamy, extra cheesy baked pasta with a homemade (yet super easy) sauce. With little bites of salty pancetta. I mean, really? Heaven. If I had to compare it to something, I would say its an updated version of cheesy lasagna. But creamier. And without the labor.
I’ll be honest, this is unlike any recipe I’ve ever tried. There’s just something so simple, yet sophisticated, about this dish. And I’m fairly confident it will be one you’ll keep around!
Three Cheese Baked Ziti
Equipment
- Large stock pot
- 13×9" baking dish
Ingredients
Tomato Sauce
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 oz. pancetta, finely chopped (optional)
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 2 tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 (28 oz.) can tomato sauce
- 1 (14 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp. salt
Baked Ziti
- 1 lbs. ziti
- 8 oz. mascarpone cheese
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- Pinch of salt
- 8 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 8 oz. provolone cheese, shredded
- Parmesan, basil, or freshly cracked pepper, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- For the sauce, heat olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add pancetta and saute until lightly crisped (about 5 minutes). Add onion and garlic; turn heat down to medium and saute for another 5 minutes. Add red pepper flakes and tomato paste; saute for 2 minutes. Add tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, and salt. Bring sauce to a simmer and let simmer (uncovered) for 20 to 30 minutes.
- While the sauce is simmering, cook ziti according to package directions. Drain, wash, toss with a little olive oil to avoid sticking. Set aside until ready to use.
- Remove about 2 cups of sauce. To the remaining sauce in the pot, add cooked pasta and toss to cover.
- In a medium bowl, mix mascarpone with garlic and pinch of salt.
- When ready to begin assembly, preheat oven to 400ºF. Transfer half of the pasta to a 13×9" baking dish. Spoon the mascarpone over the noodles in little globs. Cover with half of the mozzarella and half of provolone. Cover with about 1 cup of the reserved sauce. Repeat with the remaining pasta, mozzarella, provolone, and sauce.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until warm and bubbly. Top with parmesan, basil, or freshly cracked pepper. Serve immediately.
Reader Interactions