Three Cheese Baked Ziti
If you want to add more Mediterranean recipes to your recipe box, Three Cheese Baked Ziti might be a recipe you should try. One portion of this dish contains about 28g of protein, 26g of fat, and a total of 593 calories. For $2.53 per serving, this recipe covers 29% of your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. This recipe serves 8. This recipe from Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice has 18963 fans. It works well as a main course. Head to the store and pick up olive oil, coarse salt, canned tomatoes, and a few other things to make it today. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes. With a spoonacular score of 93%, this dish is spectacular. Baked Ziti with Cheese, Four-Cheese Baked Ziti, and Three Cheese Baked Ziti With Meatballs and Sausage are very similar to this recipe.
Servings: 8
Preparation duration: 30 minutes
Cooking duration: 70 minutes
Ingredients:
fresh black pepper
butter, for greasing pan
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes, (I like San Marzano)
coarse salt
2 firm eggplants, about 1 + 1/2 pounds each
1 heaping tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
4 cloves minced garlic
1 heaping teaspoon Italian seasoning, crushed between fingertips
6 - 7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
3 cups fresh shredded mozzarella cheese
3 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
1 small yellow onion, diced
12 ounces ziti (I like Barilla whole-grain)
Equipment:
baking sheet
paper towels
colander
bowl
oven
sauce pan
casserole dish
mixing bowl
frying pan
Cooking instruction summary:
Trim off stems, peel the eggplant and cut into 1-inch cubes. Toss them with 1 tablespoon coarse salt in a large colander and let them drain over a bowl for 1 hour. After an hour use paper towels to dry them - blot excess water and salt off them.Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Generously grease a large baking sheet and toss the eggplant with 3-4 tablespoons of oil. Spread out evenly and bake until browned, carefully tossing halfway through about 25-35 minutes. In a large sauce pan over medium-low heat 2 tablespoons oil; saute onion until tender and translucent add garlic and saute until fragrant. Add tomatoes, Italian seasoning, parsley and red pepper flakes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook 30 minutes, stirring often and reseasoning if needed.In a medium bowl stir the ricotta cheese with 1/2 cup of the mozzarella and the parmesan cheese. Cook the ziti to a minute under al dente according to package directions in plenty of salted water. Drain and add to a large mixing bowl. Toss with sauce, eggplant and 1 cup of the ricotta cheese. Generously grease a 9 x 13 casserole pan. Place 1/2 of the pasta evenly over the bottom of the pan. Dollop 1/2 of the remaining ricotta cheese by the spoonfuls over top then sprinkle with half the mozzarella. Repeat: spread the rest of the pasta evenly over top, dollop with the remaining ricotta and sprinkle with mozzarella. Bake 30-35 minutes until hot in the middle and lightly golden on top. Let set 5 minutes before serving.
Step by step:
1. Trim off stems, peel the eggplant and cut into 1-inch cubes. Toss them with 1 tablespoon coarse salt in a large colander and let them drain over a bowl for 1 hour. After an hour use paper towels to dry them - blot excess water and salt off them.Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Generously grease a large baking sheet and toss the eggplant with 3-4 tablespoons of oil.
2. Spread out evenly and bake until browned, carefully tossing halfway through about 25-35 minutes. In a large sauce pan over medium-low heat 2 tablespoons oil; saute onion until tender and translucent add garlic and saute until fragrant.
3. Add tomatoes, Italian seasoning, parsley and red pepper flakes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook 30 minutes, stirring often and reseasoning if needed.In a medium bowl stir the ricotta cheese with 1/2 cup of the mozzarella and the parmesan cheese. Cook the ziti to a minute under al dente according to package directions in plenty of salted water.
4. Drain and add to a large mixing bowl. Toss with sauce, eggplant and 1 cup of the ricotta cheese. Generously grease a 9 x 13 casserole pan.
5. Place 1/2 of the pasta evenly over the bottom of the pan. Dollop 1/2 of the remaining ricotta cheese by the spoonfuls over top then sprinkle with half the mozzarella. Repeat: spread the rest of the pasta evenly over top, dollop with the remaining ricotta and sprinkle with mozzarella.
6. Bake 30-35 minutes until hot in the middle and lightly golden on top.
7. Let set 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Information:
covered percent of daily need
