My Yummy Cheesy Baked Ziti!

I have run across lots of Baked Zitis in my day and one thing I found that they all have in common is cheese (and lots of it)! A good baked ziti must bubble over in that scrumptious gooey goodness! Okay so I am getting very descriptive with cheese, right; but it's true. You can make your own sauce, which I have done and walked you through as well. Or you can choose to use no meat at all.  I use veggies such as mushrooms in mine, as well as green and red bell-peppers (even carrots)! For this recipe I decided to use hot italian sausage.  I usually use the sweet italian sausage-- I like the taste of the sweet meat with the spiciness of my tomato sauce. One thing I stress is the use of FRESH produce and meats. Your local super walmart may not be the freshest place. I like butcher shops, Whole Foods, smaller specialty stores and my favorite place...the Farmers Market.  Not only do they have fresh produce but often times they have fresh meat and cheeses. As far as the noodles go, feel free to use any type you'd like. I know it says baked Ziti but I have used Ziti, Rigatoni (which I used for this example), Penne or Bow-tie pastas; whatever your preference! Okay lets get started. 


What you need:

• 2 tbl. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVO) plus more for baking dish and sauteing meat
• 1/4 c. Red Bell Pepper chopped (half of a Red pepper chopped)
• 1 Small Green Bell Pepper chopped
• 1 med onion finely chopped
• 3 stalks of celery (finely chopped)
• Mushrooms (optional-- use as much or as little as you'd like. I use a whole small package-sliced. I use baby bella and sometimes portobello)
• 1/2 c. Chopped Carrots
• 1/2 of a Jalapeno (optional I like my sauce with a little bit of a kick!)
• 2 Garlic Cloves minced
• 2 12-oz cans crushed tomatoes (I sometimes get the can with basil and oregano in it for extra flavor)
• 2 Bay leaves
• 6-7 Basil Leaves (Fresh and chopped) 
• 1c. Red Wine
• Salt/Pepper/Red Pepper Flakes/Italian Seasoning (Good Italian seasoning I get from Whole Foods or World Market)
• 1.24-lbs. of Sweet Italian Sausage or Hot Italian sausage or honestly any other meat you may like I have used prosciutto as well as pancetta. 
• 16-oz pasta (homemade pasta, penne, rigatoni, bow-tie, or ziti)
• 4 c. shredded mozzarella (you can use part skim if you'd like)
• 16-oz Fresh pre-sliced mozzarella cheese (if you cannot find pre-sliced it's okay)
• 1c. Asiago Shredded Cheese (good organic one) 

 I Like using this brand of crushed or diced tomatoes. 

Take a large deep dutch pot (I love my Martha Stewart baby blue cast iron) and place 2 tbl. olive oil in pan.  Heat on medium high heat. When hot (not too hot, you don't want to fry the onions) add onions, carrots, bell peppers, jalapeno, and celery. Saute until carrots and celery are somewhat soft and onions are transparent. Add garlic and stir. Takes about 10min. 

Next add 2 cans of crushed tomatoes and turn up heat to boil. Add basil, 2 bay leaves and wine. Rule of thumb when cooking with wine: pick a wine you'd like to drink, it's as simple as that! Season as desired-- I do about 3 shakes of the italian seasoning, 2 shakes of red pepper flakes, a dash of salt and 3 grinds of the pepper-mill. Turn heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally for 45min. While your sauce is cooking, boil water with salt and cook pasta. Drain pasta and toss in a little bit of olive oil (don't coat, just toss; you can use a pat of butter as well, and set aside). 


After 45 min stir and remove bay leaves. I like my sauce partly chunky and mostly smooth. Still on low heat spoon about 2 cups at a time of your sauce into a blender and blend until smooth and return to pot. Continue until you have the sauce consistency that you like. Leave on low heat. Season again if need be to desired taste.

Sauce after it has been blended. 

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In another pan heat 1 tbl. olive oil. Cut sausage into smaller pieces and saute in oil on med high heat. Once meat is browned on both sides, lower heat and add 3 cups of sauce to meat. Let simmer on very low for 10min, letting the sausage soak up the sauce. 

Now it's time to build your ziti. I put a little bit of of olive oil at the bottom of my baking dish. I use a pretty deep dish. On top of the olive oil I add half of the cooked pasta. Sprinkle with 1 c. of shredded mozzarella cheese. 

Next add half of your meat and sauce mixture, and spread evenly over cheese and pasta. Top with 1 c shredded mozzarella cheese,

 add half of your fresh sliced mozzarella cheese. 

Repeat last steps, adding the rest of your pasta, 1 c. Shredded mozzarella cheese, the rest of the meat sauce and then pour the remainder of your sauce in pot and spread evenly. Top with 1c. Shredded mozzarella cheese, the rest of your sliced fresh mozzarella cheese (arrange neatly on dish) and top with 1 c. of Asiago shredded cheese. 

Sprinkle with italian seasoning and red pepper flakes and bake for 45 min, until bubbling and golden brown! 

I wish you could have been here to smell this after I took it out the oven...mmmm so good!

You can pair this dish with a glass of your favorite red wine, a fresh green salad and crusty italian bread. You can use a sauce from a jar but trust me it won't taste the same! This is such a yummy and filling dish and you will have left-overs for at-least 3 days! LOVES IT!