Melissa Jo's Baked Ziti
Melissa Jo

Melissa Jo’s Baked Ziti

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Melissa Jo’s Baked Ziti

 

My baked ziti is a sure crowd pleaser and the perfect dish for Easter, Mother’s Day, or Father’s Day! It’s so unbelievably delicious and you just have to layer with love and use the same ingredients I mention in the tips and tricks! The right mozzarella and Pecorino Romano make all of the difference! I can’t wait for you to try this for your next holiday! Cheesy and savory and you have to MAKE IT!!

Melissa Jo's Baked Ziti

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BAKED ZITI! 1 lb. of ziti pasta about 1.25 qts. of homemade sauce (or Rao’s tomato basil sauce) 32 oz. of Ricotta 14 oz. of Polly-O mozzarella (cut into little one inch cubes) cracked black pepper and salt 3/4 cup of Locatelli Pecorino Romano (grated) fresh chopped Italian flat leaf parsley How To: heavily salt a large pot of boiling water and add 1 lb. of ziti; cook until aldente In a mixing bowl add Ricotta, 1/2 cup of grated Pecorino Romano cheese, about 5 oz. of mozzarella chopped into 1 inch cubes, 2 ladle fulls of homemade sauce (about 1 cup), plenty of cracked black pepper , and about 1 tsp. of kosher salt. Mix the ingredients in the bowl. The result should be a pink color after mixing. If it’s too white…add a little more sauce. Then, add the cooked ziti into the bowl and mix all together. In a casserole dish I used: 15.25 x 9.87 x 6.50 Inches (LxWxH) layer in this order: enough sauce to cover the bottom of the dish with a thin layer half of the ziti mixture cubed mozzarella Pecorino Romano cracked black pepper fresh parsley rest of the ziti mixture more cubed up mozzarella more grated Pecorino Romano more sauce (about 2 ladle fulls) thick layer rest of the cubed mozzarella grated pecorino romano cracked black pepper and fresh chopped Italian salt leaf parsley Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes at 400 degrees F.; then uncover and bake another 30 minutes at 400 degrees F. or until browned and bubbly! (about 1 hour total cooking time) Cool the baked ziti a 1/2 hour before serving! It will set up and become firmer #bakedzitirecipe #easterrecipes #pastaalforno

♬ original sound – Mealtime with Melissa

MORE family secret recipes:

Tips & Tricks: 

  • My beautiful Casserole dish with lid by Sofia Vergara: Casserole Dish link

  • The trick to the best baked ziti is layering! AND the right ingredients. For the mozzarella I use Polly-O and whole milk (not skim). Similarly, I use Polly-O Ricotta. I use Locatelli Pecorino Romano in this dish! If you buy those ingredients you will get the same result.

  • Serve with: Serve with crusty Italian bread, thin spaghetti or linguini,  &  a simple garden salad with Italian dressing

  • Cool the baked ziti a 1/2  hour before serving!It will set up and become firmer!

Melissa Jo Real Recipes

Melissa Jo’s Baked Ziti Recipe

Ingredients: 

  • 1 lb. of ziti pasta

  • about 1.25 qts. of homemade sauce (or Rao’s tomato basil sauce)

  • 32 oz. of Ricotta

  • 14 oz. of Polly-O mozzarella (cut into little one inch cubes)

  • cracked black pepper and salt

  • 3/4 cup of Locatelli Pecorino Romano (grated)

  • fresh chopped Italian flat leaf parsley

 

How To:

  1. heavily salt a large pot of boiling water and add 1 lb. of ziti; cook until aldente

  2. In a mixing bowl add Ricotta, 1/2 cup of grated Pecorino Romano cheese, about 5 oz. of mozzarella chopped into 1 inch cubes, 2 ladle fulls of homemade sauce (about 1 cup), plenty of cracked black pepper , and about 1 tsp. of kosher salt.

  3. Mix the ingredients in the bowl. The result should be a pink color after mixing. If it’s too white…add a little more sauce.

  4. Then, add the cooked ziti into the bowl and mix all together.

  5. In a casserole dish I used: 15.25 x 9.87 x 6.50 Inches (LxWxH) layer in this order:

    1. enough sauce to cover the bottom of the dish with a thin layer

    2. half of the ziti mixture

    3. cubed mozzarella

    4. Pecorino Romano

    5. cracked black pepper

    6. fresh parsley

    7. rest of the ziti mixture

    8. more cubed up mozzarella

    9. more grated Pecorino Romano

    10. more sauce (about 2 ladle fulls) thick layer

    11. rest of the cubed mozzarella

    12. grated pecorino romano

    13. cracked black pepper

    14. and fresh chopped Italian salt leaf parsley

    15. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes at 400 degrees F.; then uncover and bake another 30 minutes at 400 degrees F. or until browned and bubbly! (about 1 hour total cooking time)

    16. Cool the baked ziti a 1/2 hour before serving! It will set up and become firmer!