Baked Ziti

also called ziti · baked pasta · ziti al forno · pasta al forno · baked ziti with ricotta

The table

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) 15 min
1 lb(450 g)zitiboil 3 min under the boxtoss the hot pasta through bothlayer with mozzarella, half in the middlebake 375°F (190°C) 35 min, uncovered at the end
4 qt(3.8 L)water
2 Tbskosher salt
15 oz(425 g)whole-milk ricottabeat the ricotta with an egg
1 large(50 g)egg
1/2 cup(50 g)grated parmesan
1/2 tspblack pepper
2 Tbs(chopped)fresh basil
4 cups(950 mL; from the recipe on this shelf)marinara sauce
12 oz(340 g; grated)low-moisture mozzarella
Boil it three minutes short and it is not an approximation: ziti goes into the oven with four cups of sauce and comes out having drunk a good deal of it pasta cooked properly first arrives at the table as paste. The layer of mozzarella buried in the middle is the other thing a restaurant does and a home cook usually skips — it is what makes the pull when a spoon goes in rather than a browned lid over plain pasta
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What to lay out

Everything the recipe asks for, sitting under the step that eats it. Tick each one as you measure it.13 things to get out.

Pans and tools

Before anything else

2boil 3 min under the box

3beat the ricotta with an egg

4toss the hot pasta through both

goes in with what steps 2 and 3 made

5layer with mozzarella, half in the middle

goes in with what step 4 made

Cooking it

Tap a step when it is done; the next one lights up.

The clock

Start to finish
at least 42 mintwo waits that overlap count once
Needs you
none givenof the steps that give a time

3 of the 5 steps never say how long they take, so both numbers are floors. The recipe itself says 1 hr 15 min.

  1. boil 3 min under the box

    7 minwalk awayfrom the start

  2. beat the ricotta with an egg

    not timedfrom the start

  3. toss the hot pasta through both

    not timed7 min in

  4. layer with mozzarella, half in the middle

    not timed7 min in

  5. bake 375°F (190°C) 35 min, uncovered at the end

    35 minwalk away7 min in

Drawn to scale, so a long wait really does take up the room it takes. The shortest stretches keep a sliver so they stay visible; their times are printed beside them.

You'll need 9x13-in dish · oven

Goes with

See how it is written
>> title: Baked Ziti
>> category: Pasta
>> tags: pasta, tomato, ricotta, mozzarella, italian, oven, baked
>> counters: Pizzeria
>> aka: ziti, baked pasta, ziti al forno, pasta al forno, baked ziti with ricotta
>> pairs-with: marinara-sauce, meatballs
>> servings: 8
>> time: 1 hr 15 min
>> step.2: boil 3 min under the box
>> step.3: beat the ricotta with an egg
>> step.4: toss the hot pasta through both
>> step.5: layer with mozzarella, half in the middle
>> step.6: bake 375°F (190°C) 35 min, uncovered at the end

Preheat the #oven{} to 375°F (190°C) ~preheat{15%min}.

Boil @ziti{1%lb}(450 g) in @water{4%qt}(3.8 L) with @kosher salt{2%Tbs} ~boil{7%min}, three minutes short of what the box says, then drain it.

Beat @whole-milk ricotta{15%oz}(425 g) with @egg{1%large}(50 g), @grated parmesan{1/2%cup}(50 g), @black pepper{1/2%tsp} and @fresh basil{2%Tbs}(chopped). The egg is what stops the ricotta going grainy and weeping under the heat.

Toss @&(~2)drained ziti{} through @&(~1)ricotta{} and @marinara sauce{4%cup}(950 mL; from the recipe on this shelf) while the pasta is still hot enough to steam.

Layer @&(~1)dressed ziti{} into a buttered #9x13-in dish{} with @low-moisture mozzarella{12%oz}(340 g; grated), half of it buried in the middle of the pasta and half over the top.

Bake @&(~1)dish{} covered with foil ~bake{20%min}, then uncover it and ~bake{15%min} more, until the top has browned in patches and the edges are bubbling.

Boil it three minutes short and it is not an approximation: ziti goes into the oven with four cups of sauce and comes out having drunk a good deal of it, and pasta cooked properly first arrives at the table as paste. The layer of mozzarella buried in the middle is the other thing a restaurant does and a home cook usually skips — it is what makes the pull when a spoon goes in, rather than a browned lid over plain pasta.