Best Spring Summer Ziti Recipes

BAKED ZITI WITH SPINACH & MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 F
• In a large, 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat, add onion, garlic and mushrooms and season generously with salt and pepper, Italian herbs, cooking and stirring until mushrooms release all their liquids and this cooks off, and eventually they get golden brown, about 12 minutes. Taste and make sure these are salted and flavorful.
• Add fresh spinach and wilt, then add 2 cups of broth or stock, a jar of marinara sauce and the dry pasta. Stir, and bring to a simmer. Dot with the dollops of ricotta. Sprinkle with mozzarella and pecorino. Cover well and place in the oven to bake for 30 minutes.
• Uncover and let the cheese get a little golden for a couple of minutes (feel free to broil). If there seems to be too much liquid left in the pan, simply simmer uncovered on the stovetop for 1-2 minutes until it evaporates.
• Garnish with fresh herbs and chili flakes.

THE BEST BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Cut down the length of each sausage with a sharp knife. Remove and discard casings.
• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan set over high heat. Add sausages and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up with a spatula, until the sausage begins to brown, and the onion turns translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add oregano, thyme, and rosemary and cook for 1 minute more. Pour in marinara sauce. Pour 1 cup water into each jar to rinse out remaining sauce; add to the saucepan. Stir together and bring sauce to a simmer.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low, and let simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed. Turn off heat and reserve until needed. Before using, skim any excess fat that rises to the surface.
• While sauce simmers, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add ziti and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 or 2 minutes less than the directions on the package call for, about 8 minutes. Drain well and transfer into a large mixing bowl.
• Carefully add the meat sauce and stir until thoroughly combined. Let rest for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a large 9x15-inch or 9x13-inch casserole dish with a drizzle of olive oil.
• Use a slotted spoon to transfer half of the pasta and sauce mixture to the prepared dish, then use a spatula to even out into a uniform layer. Top with 1/2 of the ricotta cheese, 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese, and then 1/2 of the grated Pecorino Romano cheese, being sure to distribute evenly. Top with the rest of the pasta and sauce mixture and give the pan a little shake to settle the sauce. Repeat the cheese application.
• Bake in the center of the preheated oven until the cheese is melted and the casserole is piping hot, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool 10 to 15 minutes before serving. Top with parsley.

SPRING-SUMMER ZITI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400*F.
• Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil for pasta.
• While water is coming to a boil, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.Saute the shallots and garlic for 3-5 minutes, then stir in tomatoes and crush them with a wooden spoon or potato masher. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 5 more mintes, then stir in the tarragon and basil and remove from the heat.
• While the sauce is simmering, salt the boiling water and cook the pasta to just under al dente-a nice bite left to it. After the pasta has been cooking for 5 minutes, add the asparagus and frozen peas to the pot for a minute or two before draining. Drain the pasta and veggies.
• Add the ricotta, half the Parmigiano cheese, and the lemon zest to the hot pasta pot. return the hot pasta to the pot and stir to coat evenly.
• Pour half the tomato sauce into a large baking dish. Add all of the ziti and top with the remaining Parmigiano. Bake until the top is brown and bubbly, about 12 minutes. Enjoy!

BAKED ZITI PRIMAVERA

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the ziti, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Transfer to a large roasting pan.
• Whisk together 1 jar of spaghetti sauce and the ricotta cheese in a large bowl. Add to the pasta and stir.
• Place the spinach in the bowl of a food processor; blend until finely chopped; remove and set aside. Then place the carrots in the food processor and process until finely chopped.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chopped carrots in the hot oil until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Stir in the zucchini, portobello mushrooms, button mushrooms, and garlic; cook and stir until the zucchini is soft, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the chopped spinach, tomatoes, and 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning; drain. Add to the ziti and mix. Sprinkle about 1/2 the bag of the Italian cheese blend over the pasta and stir through. Pour in the 3 remaining jars of spaghetti sauce; stir until the pasta and vegetables are evenly coated. Season with 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper; mix. Cover the pan with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until completely heated through, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Remove the foil and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the dish. Return dish to oven and bake until the cheese melts and begins to brown, about 10 minutes more.

SUMMER PASTA WITH ZUCCHINI, RICOTTA AND BASIL

Steps:

• Put a pot of water on to boil. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the onions in 3 tablespoons olive oil until softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat as necessary to keep onions from browning. Add zucchini, season generously with salt and pepper, and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until rather soft, about 10 minutes. Turn off heat.
• Meanwhile, use a mortar and pestle to pound garlic, basil and a little salt into a rough paste (or use a mini food processor). Stir in 3 tablespoons olive oil.
• Salt the pasta water well and put in the pasta, stirring. Boil per package instructions but make sure to keep pasta quite al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of cooking water.
• Add cooked pasta to zucchini in skillet and turn heat to medium-high. Add 1/2 cup cooking water, then the ricotta, crushed red pepper and lemon zest, stirring to distribute. Check seasoning and adjust. Cook for 1 minute more. Mixture should look creamy. Add a little more pasta water if necessary. Add the basil paste and half the grated cheese and quickly stir to incorporate. Spoon pasta into warm soup plates and sprinkle with additional cheese. Serve immediately.