Baked Ziti

Ingredients

• 1 pound ziti pasta
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound bulk Italian sausage or ground beef or pork
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 large jar of marinara sauce or make your own tomato sauce
• 1/2 pound of mozzarella cheese, grated
• 1 heaping cup of ricotta cheese
• 1 cup grated parmesan or pecorino cheese

Directions

1. Bring a large pot filled with 2 quarts of water to a lively boil, then stir in a tablespoon of salt. Add the pasta and keep it bubbling hard, without a lid, until it is al dente: tender enough to eat, but still firm when you bite it.
2. Tip the pasta into a colander to drain. Drizzle with a little olive oil and toss, which keeps the pieces from clumping while the sauce comes together.
3. While that water is heating, get the sauce started. Warm a tablespoon of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil looks hot and glossy, add the bulk sausage or ground meat. As it cooks, break apart any big pieces, and let the meat brown thoroughly.
4. Resist the urge to stir constantly; the meat will color better if you leave it alone here and there. If you chose ground beef or pork rather than sausage, season it with a little salt.
5. Once the meat is mostly browned, stir in the onions. Cook, stirring to combine, until the onions turn translucent and just start to color, about 4-5 minutes.
6. Stir in the garlic, rosemary or basil, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Let them cook for 1 minute, then pour in the tomato sauce, mix well, and bring the sauce to a simmer.
7. Set the oven to 350 degrees F so it can heat.
8. Spoon enough sauce into a 9x13-inch casserole pan to make a thin layer across the bottom, then add small dollops of half the ricotta cheese over the sauce. Add a spoonful of sauce to the pasta and stir until coated, then transfer the pasta to the casserole.
9. Pour the remaining sauce over the pasta. Add the rest of the ricotta in dollops, then cover the top with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
10. Slide the pan into the oven and bake at 350 degrees F until the cheese has melted and the top has taken on a little color, about 20 minutes.