Gram’s Baked Ziti | Chef Erik Hoover of Cockeye BBQ makes Gram’s Baked Ziti as part of Valley Spotlight’s “Quick Cook” challenge. The goal? Create a family meal for under $25 with ingredients from Grocery Outlet. Chef Erik came in under budget, so he added a bottle of wine ($7.99) and the ingredients for making garlic bread ($2.99). Total cost at Grocery Outlet: $24.78. Recipe by Chef Erik Hoover.
Gram’s Baked Ziti
Prep time: 40 minutes.
Cook time: 50 minutes.
Servings: 8-10 servings.
Ingredients
1 pound ziti noodles
1½ pounds ground spicy or sweet Italian sausage (or links removed from casings)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons sugar
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup heavy cream
5 ounces grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
8 ounces whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
Preparation
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add ziti noodles and cook according to package directions for very al dente, about 7 minutes. It will continue to cook in the oven, so you want to undercook it just a bit. Drain and add pasta back to pot. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 425°F and set oven rack in middle position.
- Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Crumble sausage into pan and cook, breaking apart with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned and just cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer cooked sausage to a plate. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from pan and set over low heat. if you don’t have enough fat in the pan, add a tablespoon of olive oil. Add 4 cloves of minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until soft but not browned, about 1 minute. Add the can of crushed tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, 1½ teaspoons sugar, and ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
- Add cream, ⅓ cup (33 g) of the Pecorino Romano, cooked sausage, and basil to pan; stir until evenly combined. Carefully pour the contents of the sauté pan into the large pot with the pasta and gently stir to combine. Spoon half of the mixture into a 9 by 13-inch (23 x 33-cm) baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the shredded mozzarella (1 cup/113 g) and half the remaining Pecorino Romano (1½ tablespoons). Spoon the remaining pasta mixture on top and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella (1 cup/113 g) and Pecorino Romano (1½ tablespoons). Transfer to the oven and bake, uncovered, until the cheese has melted and browned, 15 to 20 minutes.
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