Baked Ziti with Ricotta and Tomato Sauce
By Daily SimmerA classic Italian-American baked ziti loaded with creamy ricotta, melted mozzarella, and a rich tomato sauce. It can be baked immediately for a comforting dinner or assembled ahead and frozen for an easy future meal.
Ingredients
Contains Gluten, Dairy, and Eggs
Pasta
Tomato Sauce
Cheese Filling and Topping
Directions
- Mark step 1 done
Preheat the oven to 190°C. Bring the water (4l) to a boil in a large pot and add the salt (15g). Add the ziti pasta (450g) and boil, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes less than the package time for al dente, then drain and set aside.
- Mark step 2 done
In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil (15ml) over medium heat. Add the minced garlic (3) and cook for about 1 minute. Stir in the crushed tomatoes (1.4kg) and dried oregano (5ml), and season with salt. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Mark step 3 done
In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese (425g), egg, vegetarian Parmesan cheese (50g), and black pepper until smooth.
- Mark step 4 done
If you plan to freeze the dish instead of baking it now, first cool the drained pasta and the sauce separately in shallow containers in the refrigerator, then assemble them cold. Spread a thin layer of the crushed tomatoes (1.4kg) sauce evenly across the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Toss the cooked ziti pasta (450g) with the rest of the sauce, then spread half of the coated pasta into the dish.
- Mark step 5 done
Drop spoonfuls of the ricotta cheese (425g) mixture evenly over the pasta in the dish. Sprinkle the vegetarian mozzarella cheese (200g) over the ricotta layer. Top with the remaining pasta, then scatter the vegetarian mozzarella cheese (200g) evenly over the top.
- Mark step 6 done
To bake immediately, cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, bubbling, and lightly browned on top.
- Mark step 7 done
To freeze instead of baking, wrap the assembled cold dish tightly with plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, remove the plastic wrap, and bake as in step 6, adding about 15 minutes to the covered time, until the center reaches 74°C.
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