1 pound ziti
12 ounces ricotta cheese
3/4 cup grated Romano cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
3 cups marinara sauce, homemade below or jarred.
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
Preheat the oven to 350F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook ziti until firm al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the pasta from cooking further. Drain well. Combine ricotta cheese, salt, pepper and 1/2 cup Romano cheese and parsley in a medium bowl, blend well. Toss the cooked pasta with 2 cups marinara sauce. Place half the pasta in a 11 x 7 baking dish. Smooth 1/2 the ricotta cheese mixture over the pasta and top with 1/2 the mozzarella cheese cubes. Add the remaining pasta, remaining sauce, mozzarella and top with Romano cheese. Bake until heated thoroughly and the cheese is melted and the top is browned on top about 30 to 35 minutes.
Marinara Sauce
1 28 ounce can tomatoes or 12 fresh tomatoes
1 medium onion chopped
1 large clove garlic minced
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/3 teaspoon basil or 3 fresh leaves, chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
2 tablespoons Romano cheese
salt and pepper to taste
Heat large skillet, add olive oil when the oil is heated, add crushed garlic; let the garlic saute briefly then add the onion. Cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and all seasonings and cook until thick enough for pasta. A can of mushrooms can be added 5 to 10 minutes before the sauce is served. For a thicker heartier sauce, add 1 can of tomato paste.
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