The recipe is from America's Test Kitchen, they test typical recipes to come up with the very best, and each recipe is definitely the very best. I also love that they break down the reasons why they use a certain brand of tomato sauce over another or how to wisk eggs properly or make the perfect yellow cake from scratch, I know cooking nerd. They also have cookbooks and seasonal magazines with the best recipes you'll ever see.
I am pasting this recipe directly from the heavily copyrighted and password protected site just for all of you, but, just so you know, I made no substitutions. I followed it as written, down to the last instructional sentence...and then I couldn't wait long enough for leftovers and may have just had it again for lunch and may have licked the bowl afterward.
It's haunting me in the refrigerator.
Baked Ziti
From America's Test
Kitchen
Why this recipe works:
Most versions of baked ziti seem like they went directly
from the pantry into the oven, calling for little more than cooked pasta,
jarred tomato sauce, a container of ricotta, and some preshred...(more)
Serves 8 to 10
The test kitchen prefers baked ziti made with heavy cream,
but whole milk can be substituted by increasing the amount of cornstarch to 2
teaspoons and increasing the cooking time in step 3 by 1 to 2 minutes. Our
preferred brand of mozzarella is Dragone Whole Milk Mozzarella. Part-skim mozzarella
can also be used, but avoid preshredded cheese, as it does not melt well.
Ingredients
1 pound whole milk
cottage cheese or 1 percent cottage cheese (see note)
2 large eggs , lightly
beaten
3 ounces grated
Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)
Table salt
1 pound ziti or
other short, tubular pasta
2 tablespoons
extra virgin olive oil
5 medium garlic
cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 5 teaspoons)
1 (28-ounce) can
tomato sauce
1 (14.5-ounce) can
diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried
oregano
1/2 cup plus 2
tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon sugar
Ground black
pepper
3/4 teaspoon
cornstarch
1 cup heavy cream
(see note)
8 ounces
low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella cheese , cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 1
1/2 cups) (see note)
Instructions
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350
degrees. Whisk cottage cheese, eggs, and 1 cup Parmesan together in medium
bowl; set aside. Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in large Dutch oven over high
heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon salt and pasta; cook, stirring occasionally, until
pasta begins to soften but is not yet cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain
pasta and leave in colander (do not wash Dutch oven).
2. Meanwhile, heat oil and garlic in 12-inch skillet over
medium heat until garlic is fragrant but not brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in
tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and oregano; simmer until thickened, about 10
minutes. Off heat, stir in ½ cup basil and sugar, then season with salt and
pepper.
3. Stir cornstarch into heavy cream in small bowl; transfer
mixture to now-empty Dutch oven set over medium heat. Bring to simmer and cook
until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove pot from heat and add cottage cheese
mixture, 1 cup tomato sauce, and ¾ cup mozzarella, then stir to combine. Add pasta
and stir to coat thoroughly with sauce.
4. Transfer pasta mixture to 13- by 9-inch baking dish and
spread remaining tomato sauce evenly over pasta. Sprinkle remaining ¾ cup
mozzarella and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan over top. Cover baking dish tightly
with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
5. Remove foil and continue to cook until cheese is bubbling
and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes longer. Cool for 20 minutes. Sprinkle
with remaining 2 tablespoons basil and serve.
© 2011 America’s Test Kitchen. All rights reserved.
Alani your writing is fabulous and you crack me up. I just learned how to boil an egg but you make me want to cook baked ziti!
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