The Food Lab’s No-Boil Baked Ziti Recipe

[Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]

Baked ziti is the dish I make at the once-a-year ski retreat that my friends and I choose every single year in New England. There are number of pasta bakes that are simpler to put with each other nonetheless deliver such ridiculously very good final results, specifically when it’s snowing outdoors and you’ve got bought a full cabinful of friends to feed. The noodles get tossed with a pink combination of tomato sauce, cream, and ricotta cheese, with a few of eggs thrown in to lend composition to the casserole as it cooks. I also like to toss cubes of mozzarella cheese jointly with the pasta to type gooey, stretchy pockets. I major the total thing with some more marinara, extra cubes of mozzarella, and a grating of Parmesan.

Why It Performs

Components

• one pound ziti, penne, or other thick tubular pasta
• 6 cups do-it-yourself or significant-excellent keep-acquired pink sauce (these kinds of as Rao’s)
• 12 ounces entire-milk do-it-yourself or high-top quality ricotta cheese (see take note)
• 3 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated (about 11⁄2 cups)
• two massive eggs, crushed
• one cup weighty product
• three tablespoons minced clean parsley
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh new basil
• Kosher salt and freshly floor black pepper
• 1 pound full-milk mozzarella cheese, cut into rough one/4-inch cubes

Directions

1. 1.

   Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 400°F. Spot the ziti in a substantial bowl and go over with hot salted water by 3 or four inches. Allow sit at area temperature for 30 minutes, stirring it just after the very first five minutes to prevent sticking. Drain.

2. two.

   Pour 50 percent of the marinara into a large pot, include the ricotta, 50 % of the Par- migiano, the eggs, the cream, and half of the parsley and basil, and stir to blend. Season to flavor with salt and pepper. Incorporate the soaked ziti, together with 50 percent of the cheese cubes and stir right up until very well blended. Transfer to a 13- by 9-inch baking dish and major with the remaining marinara sauce and mozzarella.

3. 3.

   Include tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Clear away the foil and bake till the cheese is commencing to brown, about 15 minutes for a longer period. Clear away from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining Parmi- giano, then enable amazing for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley and basil and serve.