Baked Ziti with Vegetable Sauce

Lentils with Salmon and Black Cod

We decided to make this Indian influenced variation of Baked Ziti with Vegetable Sauce. We liked the extra zing that the chilies gave to the dish. We will definitely make it again. It has the advantage of giving lots of leftovers! The recipe is from America Masala by Suvir Saran.

We started with a Fish Salad made from left over Black Cod with Miso Sauce and left over Salmon with Lentils from Pizzeria Mozza.

Baked Ziti With Vegetable Sauce

America Masala

Suvir Saran

SERVES 8 TO 10

FOR THE SAUCE

¼         cup extra-virgin olive oil plus 1 teaspoon, for greasing baking dish

3         dried red chiles

½         teaspoon ground peppercorns

½         teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

½         teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1         large red onion, halved and thinly sliced

1         tablespoon kosher salt

2         red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced

1         tablespoon sugar

3         cups canned crushed tomatoes

FOR THE ZITI

1         pound mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated

8         ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, coarsely grated

4         ounces Pecorino cheese, coarsely grated

1         pound whole-milk or fat-free ricotta cheese

3         large eggs

1         cup chopped fresh basil leaves

2         tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

½         teaspoon kosher salt

½         teaspoon ground peppercorns

1         pound ziti pasta

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with 1 teaspoon of oil and set aside.

To make the sauce, heat the oil, chiles, and ground peppercorns in a large pot over medium-high heat, cooking until the chiles become slightly browned, about 1-1/2 minutes. Add the rosemary and thyme, cook for 15 seconds, and then add the onion and salt and cook until onion is soft but not browned, stirring often, about 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the bell peppers. Cook until they start to soften, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Mix in the sugar, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring halfway through. Add the tomatoes, bring to a boil, add 1 cup of water, and bring back to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and partially cover the pot. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and set aside (at this point, the sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 3 months).

To make the ziti, mix a quarter of the mozzarella, half of the Parmigiano-Reggiano, the Pecorino, ricotta, eggs, basil, melted butter, salt, and ground peppercorns together in a large bowl. Mix the remaining mozzarella and the remaining Parmesan cheese together in a small bowl.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until al dente, drain, and add to the vegetable sauce along with 2 tablespoons of butter. Warm the sauce over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until you can hear the sauce simmering at the bottom of the pot, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat.

Add a third of the pasta to the baking dish. Divide the ricotta mixture into two equal portions and break marble-sized chunks off of one portion to dot over the pasta. Cover the ricotta with half of the remaining pasta, and then dot with the remaining mixture. Spread the rest of the pasta on top and sprinkle with the mozzarella-Parmesan mixture.

Bake the ziti until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbling around the edges of the baking dish, about 20 minutes. Turn the broiler to high and broil about 6 inches from the heating element until the top layer of cheese has browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Let the ziti stand for 5 minutes before serving.

MY AUNT RITA, who lives in upstate New York, made a baked ziti during my very first visit to the United States when I was in my teens. I combined this delicious memory with the recipe given to me by Jo Taibi, an Italian-American friend who wanted to show off what she considered to be the best baked casserole dish from her community. For a less rich dish, use fat-free ricotta in place of whole-milk ricotta. The sauce is so thick and flavorful that no one will miss the fat. This is wonderful with homemade garlic bread.