Baked Ziti Recipe

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

In a large rondeau pot, or Dutch oven-style pot, add three tablespoons of olive oil and heat over high medium heat for 60 to 90 seconds. Then add the sausage and beef and press down to spread it around the pan to cover more surface area with a spoon. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes without stirring, and then break everything up using a spoon and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, or until just done. Season with salt and pepper and set it aside.

In the same pan, add one tablespoon of olive oil. Then, add the onions, gently season with salt, and sauté for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn the heat down to low and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until well browned. Mix in the garlic and cook for 30 to 45 seconds.

Deglaze with the white wine and cook over medium heat until only a few tablespoons remain. Add in the tomatoes, along with the sprig of fresh basil leaves, season with salt and pepper, and stir. Return the cooked meat mixture to the pan. Finish with the balsamic vinegar. Cook over low to medium heat for 30 minutes.

While this cooks, add the three tablespoons of minced basil to a bowl along with the ricotta cheese, the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil, salt, and pepper, and whisk until it is smooth. This takes about 1 to 2 minutes. Set it to the side.

When the tomato-meat sauce has about 5 to 7 minutes left in the cooking process, add the ziti pasta to a large pot of boiling salted water and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, which would be right up to the stage before al dente.

Drain the pasta and put it in a large bowl along with 2/3 of the cut-up fontina, provolone, and 2/3 of the sauce, and mix to combine.

With the remaining sauce, add about ¾ cup of it to the bottom of a 13x9 or like-size casserole dish, then add in half of the tossed pasta and gently press down to flatten.

Then evenly add and gently spread the ricotta-basil mixture to cover the pasta along with ¼ cup of grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Next, top off with the remaining pasta and gently press down to flatten out. Evenly add on another ¾ cup of the sauce, followed by evenly sprinkling on the remaining fontina, provolone, and Parmigiano Reggiano.

Add it to a sheet tray and bake on a middle rack at 375°F for 30 to 35 minutes or until the cheese is melted and browned on top.

Remove from the oven and serve with the remaining sauce.