Comforting family food
Servings: 6 bowls
Equipment
- 1 large pot
- 1 cutting board
- 1 cheese grater
- 1 kitchen scale
- 1 colander
- 2 small bowls
- 1 medium bowl
- 1 wooden spoon
- 1 9×13" baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 10 oz ziti pasta (substitute with penne in a pinch)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 oz garlic cloves (about 3 garlic cloves)
- 4 oz onion (1 small onion)
- 24 oz tomato puree (not tomato paste)
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp sugar
- 8 oz creamy ricotta cheese (about 1 cup)
- 4 oz Parmesan cheese
- 10 cups water for pasta
- ½ cup water for sauce
- 4 oz mozzarella cheese
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp salt for pasta water
- 1 tsp salt for sauce
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp paprika
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
Instructions
Prep work & boil pasta (20 minutes)
- Get the large pot, medium bowl, 2 small bowls, cutting board, grater, and colander
- Put the large pot on an oven burner and turn it on to it's highest setting
- Put the pasta water (but not the pasta) in the large pot10 cups water for pasta
- Add the salt for the pasta water to the potContinue with the steps below while the salty water is coming to a rolling boil, in about 10 minutes2 tsp salt for pasta water
- Weigh out the ziti in the medium bowl on the kitchen scale10 oz ziti pasta
- Mince the garlic and put it in the 1st small bowlYou should end up with about 0.5 (dry) oz or 3 tsp of minced garlic.1 oz garlic cloves
- Cut the ends of the onion and discard.4 oz onion
- Dice the onion and add it to the 1st small bowlYou should end up with about 2.5 (dry) oz or ½ cup of diced onion.
- Grate the mozzarella cheese into the 2nd small bowl4 oz mozzarella cheese
- Grate the Parmesan cheese into the 2nd small bowl also4 oz Parmesan cheese
- Once the pasta water is boiling, stir in the ziti10 oz ziti pasta
- Let the water return to a boil
- Stir the ziti every minute or so, while it's cooking uncovered for 8 minutesGo back and finish any remaining steps from above while that's happening
- Put the colander in the sink
- Leaving the oven burner on the highest setting, transfer the ziti to the colander and let it drain well.Keep the large pot nearby though, as we'll need it again.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF
Make the sauce (30 minutes)
- Get the large skillet and put it on the oven burner that's already on the highest setting
- Put the oil in it and let it heat up for about a minute1 tbsp olive oil
- Get the 1st small bowl, with the onion you diced and garlic you minced earlier, and stir it into the skillet with a wooden spoon1 oz garlic cloves, 4 oz onion
- Stir occasionally while letting it cook for about 2 minutes, until the onion is translucent
- Add the ground beef, breaking it up as you go1 lb ground beef
- Stir frequently while letting it cook for about 8 minutes, until the beef is brown
- Add the paprika, cayenne pepper, onion powder, sauce salt, and pepper2 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp salt for sauce, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tbsp paprika, ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- Stir while cooking for another 2 minutes
- Add the water, tomato puree, basil, oregano, and sugar24 oz tomato puree, 1 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp oregano, ½ cup water for sauce, 1 tsp sugar
- Stir it well and then let the liquid come to a simmer
- Turn the heat to low and let it cook for 10 minutes
- While that's happening, transfer the ziti from the colander back into the large pot
- Once the sauce timer is up, remove the skillet with the sauce from the oven burner
- Taste the sauce and add more salt or pepper if you want
Bake the ziti (50 minutes)
- Get the baking dish and a panel of aluminum foil big enough to cover it
- Take only 2 cups of the sauce for now, pour it into the large pot with the ziti, and mix it all about with the wooden spoon
- Pour the saucy pasta from the pot into the baking dish
- Cover it with dollops of the ricotta cheese8 oz creamy ricotta cheese
- Pour the remaining sauce on top
- Get the 2nd small bowl, with the Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses you grated earlier, and spread it on top of the sauce
- Cover loosely with the aluminum foil
- Put it in the oven and let it bake for 20 minutes
- Remove the foil, then let it back for another 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is golden
- Let it cool for 10 minutes, and serve
Notes
Adapted from Recipe Tin Eats.
Curious why this recipe uses weights for dry measures? See the Weights page.