Elyssa and I decided about a month ago that we would create a food blog and record us making it. Since neither of us really cook we thought it would be fun to try and document our journey. For Christmas my Grandmother gave me a cookbook: The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. We choose the Baked Ziti with Tomatoes and Mozzarella. Not only was it delicious it was also fast and affordable. I already had mozzarella in the refrigerator and when we went to the store the ingredients only cost $6.94.
Baked Ziti with Tomatoes and Mozzarella
Serves 6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra oiling for dish
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon sugar
Salt
1 pound ziti
8 ounces mozzarella, shredded (2 cups)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot for the ziti.
2. Meanwhile, cook 1 tablespoon oil and the minced garlic in a 12i inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until the garlic is fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes with their juice. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Stir in the basil, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
3. When the water is boiling, stir in 1 tablespoon salt and the ziti. Cook, stirring often, until the ziti is almost tender but still a little firm to the bite.
4. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water, then drain the ziti and return it to the pot. Stir in the tomato sauce and toss to coat. Add the reserved pasta cooking water as needed to loosen the sauce.
5. Spread half of the ziti in an oiled 9 by 13- inch baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the mozzarella and half of the Parmesan cheese. Spread the remaining ziti in the dish and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
6. Bake until the cheese turn golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
