Zippy Ziti Recipes

Steps:

• 1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions or until al dente; drain. "Al dente" means the pasta is tender, but still firm to the bite.
• 2. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter with the olive oil and saute the garlic, zucchini, onion, tomato, mushrooms, oregano, paprika, salt and pepper for 15 to 20 minutes. Combine the pasta and sauteed vegetables and toss.

Steps:

• Cut down the length of each sausage with a sharp knife. Remove and discard casings.
• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan set over high heat. Add sausages and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up with a spatula, until the sausage begins to brown, and the onion turns translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add oregano, thyme, and rosemary and cook for 1 minute more. Pour in marinara sauce. Pour 1 cup water into each jar to rinse out remaining sauce; add to the saucepan. Stir together and bring sauce to a simmer.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low, and let simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed. Turn off heat and reserve until needed. Before using, skim any excess fat that rises to the surface.
• While sauce simmers, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add ziti and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 or 2 minutes less than the directions on the package call for, about 8 minutes. Drain well and transfer into a large mixing bowl.
• Carefully add the meat sauce and stir until thoroughly combined. Let rest for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a large 9x15-inch or 9x13-inch casserole dish with a drizzle of olive oil.
• Use a slotted spoon to transfer half of the pasta and sauce mixture to the prepared dish, then use a spatula to even out into a uniform layer. Top with 1/2 of the ricotta cheese, 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese, and then 1/2 of the grated Pecorino Romano cheese, being sure to distribute evenly. Top with the rest of the pasta and sauce mixture and give the pan a little shake to settle the sauce. Repeat the cheese application.
• Bake in the center of the preheated oven until the cheese is melted and the casserole is piping hot, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Top with parsley.

Steps:

• Make the tomato sauce: Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is totally softened and translucent (without letting it brown), 8 to 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring until it has turned a deeper brick-red color, tinting the oil and onions a fiery orange color, about 2 minutes. Crush the whole tomatoes by hand and add them (including the juice) and the tomato purée to the pot, stirring to scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pot. Season with salt and pepper and add red pepper flakes, if using. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomato sauce has thickened and flavors have come together, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Prepare the filling: In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, heavy cream and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Prepare the pasta: As the sauce cooks, heat oven to 425 degrees, and place a large pot of salted water to boil on the stove.
• Cook pasta until it's nearly al dente. (You want to undercook the pasta slightly, as it will continue to cook in the oven. A good way to do this is cook it 2 minutes less than you normally would if preparing it al dente.) Reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid, drain pasta and rinse with cool water; set aside while the tomato sauce finishes cooking.
• Once tomato sauce is done, stir in reserved pasta water.
• Place pasta in a large bowl and add 2 cups sauce. Stir to coat pasta evenly encouraging the sauce to go inside each tube.
• Spoon a bit of remaining sauce on the bottom of a 3-quart baking dish and top with 1/3 of the pasta. Spoon 1/3 of the remaining sauce on top, dollop with half the ricotta mixture and scatter 1/3 of the mozzarella on top of that. Repeat, beginning with the pasta, one more time. For the final layer, add the last 1/3 of pasta and the last of the sauce. Dot remaining mozzarella on top and shave a bit more Parmesan on top of that. Place baking dish on top of a sheet pan lined with parchment paper to catch any drips. Place in the oven and bake until the edges are golden brown and bubbling and the top has browned nicely, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Let cool slightly before eating with a big green leafy salad.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, cook the beef, sausage, onion and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, bay leaf, Italian seasoning, basil, sugar, salt, pepper flakes and pepper., Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Uncover; simmer 15-30 minutes longer or until sauce reaches desired thickness. Discard bay leaf. Cool., Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain. In a large bowl, combine 1 cup sauce mixture, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup Romano cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and pasta., Spread 1-1/2 cups sauce mixture into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Dot with 1/2 cup ricotta cheese. Top with pasta mixture. Pour remaining sauce mixture over the top. Dot with remaining ricotta cheese. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella, Romano and Parmesan cheeses., Cover and bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Uncover; bake 20-25 minutes longer or until bubbly.

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions and saute until starting to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the ground beef and sausage and cook until browned. Drain off almost all of the fat, leaving a bit behind for flavor and moisture. Add the tomato sauce, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and some salt and pepper. Stir, bring to a simmer and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove 3 to 4 cups of the cooked sauce to a bowl to cool down.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add some salt. Cook the ziti until not quite al dente.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a bowl, mix 2 cups of the grated mozzarella, the ricotta, Parmesan, parsley, eggs and some salt and pepper. Stir together just a couple of times (do not mix completely).
• Drain the pasta and rinse under cool water to stop the cooking and cool it down. Pour it into the bowl with the cheese mixture and toss to slightly combine (there should still be large lumps). Add the cooled reserved meat sauce and toss to combine.
• Add half the coated pasta to a large casserole dish or lasagna dish. Spoon half of the remaining sauce over the top, then top with half the remaining mozzarella. Repeat with another layer of the coated pasta and the remaining sauce and mozzarella.
• Bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before sprinkling with chopped parsley to serve.

Steps:

• Prepare ziti according to package directions add broccoli during last minute of cooking time. Drain add garlic, Alfredo sauce, tomatoes and cheese, mixing well. Spoon into an ungreased 2-quart casserole dish set aside. Toss bread crumbs with margarine sprinkle over ziti. Bake at 350 degrees until top is golden, about 20 to 30 minutes.TIP: Go Mexican with Zippy Ziti! Combine canned tomato sauce with a jar of salsa for a zesty sauce and use tomatoes with green chiles instead of Italian-style tomatoes. Serve topped with sour cream and chopped green onions! From "Meals in Minutes." Copyright Gooseberry Patch. Used with permission of the publisher, Gooseberry Patch. All Rights Reserved.

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• 2. In a large bowl, toss cooked pasta with the Mmmarinara sauce, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, all of the Romano, and the mozzarella cubes.
• 3. Season with the red pepper and black pepper to taste. Mix well.
• 4. Transfer the pasta mix into an oiled 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover the top of the pasta with the mozzarella slices, and sprinkle the remaining Parmesan on top.
• 5. Bake until lightly browned, approximately 30 minutes.

Steps:

• Prepare ziti according to package directions add broccoli during last minute of cooking time. Drain add garlic, Alfredo sauce, tomatoes and cheese, mixing well. Spoon into an ungreased 2-quart casserole dish set aside. Toss bread crumbs with margarine sprinkle over ziti. Bake at 350 degrees until top is golden, about 20 to 30 minutes.TIP: Go Mexican with Zippy Ziti! Combine canned tomato sauce with a jar of salsa for a zesty sauce and use tomatoes with green chiles instead of Italian-style tomatoes. Serve topped with sour cream and chopped green onions! From "Meals in Minutes." Copyright Gooseberry Patch. Used with permission of the publisher, Gooseberry Patch. All Rights Reserved.