Baked Ziti

description:

Creamy pasta that's just as good as lasagna, but easier to make.

ingredients:

3/4 pound italian sausage
1 lb ziti or other tubular pasta

1 pound whole milk cottage cheese or 1 percent cottage cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
5 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 5 teaspoons)
1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce (yes, use tomato sauce)
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon sugar
Ground black pepper

3/4 teaspoon cornstarch
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)

instructions:

1. Cook the sausage to completion in the red dutch oven, let it cool down, and break up into small pieces. Do not wash this dutch oven. It will be used for the red sauce.

2. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350°. Whisk cottage cheese, eggs, and 1 cup Parmesan together in medium bowl; set aside. Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in the metal large pot over high heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon salt and pasta; cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta begins to soften but is not yet cooked through, 5 minutes. Drain pasta and leave in colander (do not wash this pot).

3. Meanwhile, heat oil and garlic (in same dutch oven used for the sausage) over medium heat until garlic is fragrant but not brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and oregano; simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in 1/2 cup basil and sugar, then season with salt and pepper.

4. Stir cornstarch into heavy cream in small bowl; transfer mixture to now-empty pot set over medium heat. Bring to simmer and cook until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove pot from heat and add cottage cheese mixture, 1 cup tomato sauce, cooked sausage, and 3/4 cup mozzarella, then stir to combine. Add pasta and stir to coat thoroughly with sauce.

5. Transfer pasta mixture to 13- by 9-inch baking dish and spread remaining tomato sauce evenly over pasta. Sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan over top. Cover baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

6. Remove foil and continue to cook until cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes longer. Cool for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons basil and serve.

source:

America's Test Kitchen