Creamy Ziti

Prep Time: 12 minutes
Cook Time: 1 to 1 hour, 15 minutes
Chill Time: none
Yield: 6 to 8 servings

• 1 (1-pound) box ziti or penne rigate
• 2 (26-ounce) jars prepared marinara sace
• 1 (32-ounce) container ricotta cheee
• 2 (8-ounce) packages shredded mozzarella cheese, divied
• Cooking Spray

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Cook ziti about 2 to 3 minutes less than package directions for al dente pasta. Drain, rinse with cold water to stop the cooking and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, mix marinara sauce, ricotta and 1 cup of mozzarella.
4. Pour about 2 cups of the sauce mixture in prepared pan, spreading over bottom.
5. Combine ziti and remaining sauce mixture and stir until well combined, making sure there are no dry patches of pasta. Pour into pan and spread to edges.
6. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella over ziti to cover.
7. Spray one side of aluminum foil with baking spray and cover ziti (spray side down). The cooking spray will keep the mozzarella from sticking to the foil.
8. Bake, covered, at 375° for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Uncover and continue baking until cheese is golden brown and bubbly.
9. Serve hot, straight out of the pan.

Tip:

One of the secrets to this ziti is that the pasta is slightly undercooked before it goes into the oven, which helps prevent it from becoming too mushy.

This is it! The Geller ziti I told you about. Hubby and I are famous in our neighborhood for this yummy dish. It’s a quick prep, but it lasts long in people’s memories.

Suggested Wine:

Hagafen 2004 Napa Valley Zinfandel

Zinfandel is a high-acid wine, which is the only kind of wine that will match with tomato-based sauces.

Reprinted with permission from Quick and Kosher: Recipes From The Bride Who Knew Nothing