Oven-baked ziti with three cheeses

6 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
2 tablespoons Olive oil
1 Onion; chopped
2 Garlic; chopped
1 teaspoon Fennel seeds
⅓ cup Tomato paste
1 Tomato sauce
1 cup Water
1 teaspoon Dried oregano leaves; crumbled
½ teaspoon Dried sage; rubbed
½ cup Parmesan cheese; grated
8 ounces Mozzarella cheese; grated
12 ounces Freshly cooked ziti or
Other tubular pasta
1 Egg

Directions

Heat oil in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and fennel seeds and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Mix in tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add tomato sauce, water, oregano and sage. Simmer until mixture thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in ¼ cup parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 450. Butter 9x13 inch glass baking dish. In medium bowl combine ricotta cheese and egg. Reserve ¼ cup mozzarella cheese for topping. Add remaining mozzarella to ricotta cheese mixture and blend. season with salt and pepper.

Spread ¼ of tomato sauce over bottom of prepared dish. Layer ⅓ of pasta over. Drop half of ricotta cheese mixture over by spoonfuls.

Spread ¼ of sauce over. Repeat layering with another ⅓ of pasta, remaining cheese mixture, ¼ of sauce and remaining pasta. Spread remaining sauce over and sprinkle with reserved mozzarella and remaning ¼ cup parmesan.

(Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Cover and bake until heated through, about 40 minutes.

Contributor: Bon Appetit

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