Wednesday, July 21, 2010

MOM'S PASTA AL FORNO (SPECIAL BAKED ZITI)




Mom used to make this pasta on special days,
like on Holidays and a lot of Sundays. It was a big treat for us.
It a lot of work because of all the ingredients that you have to layer
on the pasta but it's well worth it.

Ingredients

MOM'S SPECIAL BAKED ZITI
2 Pounds of ziti
4-6 hard boiled eggs
1 pound of ground beef
1 can of green peas
1 bag of shredded mozzarrella
2- 8oz of parmesan grated cheese
1- 8 oz ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons water
and mom's sauce recipe follows on bottom.

Directions
1 Make sauce first directions on bottom.

Preheat oven at 375 degrees F.
Brown ground beef and drain fat, boil eggs (hard boiled) cut eggs in slices, discard the end of the eggs, cook pasta as directed make it a little al dente.
Drain pasta and put it back in the pot, mix ground beef and peas in sauce (or you can add the peas on the layer of pasta) pour enough sauce to lightly coat the pasta make sure you divide the sauce so you can have enough for the baking preparation. Mix the ricotta with the 2 tablespoons of water 
so it can be easy to spread on the pasta.
In a 13x9 pan, pour a ladle of sauce and spread it all around the pan, add half of the pasta, spread the ricotta on top of the pasta, pour the can of peas, sprinkle half of the grated cheese, layer the eggs on every section of the pasta, cover the pasta with sauce and sprinkle mozzarella to your liking
Pour the remaining of the pasta on top cover with sauce add grated cheese and mozzarella cover with aluminum foil and cook for about 40 to 50 minutes or until mozzarella is melted.
Mom used to let it sit for about 10 minutes so when you would cut portions they wouldn't fall apart.

(You can choose whatever item you like in the ziti...but we love it just like that...it's filling and it's good....)




2 Directions for sauce


moms' sauce


3 Cans of Tomato Puree
6 Tablespoons of sugar
6 leaves of fresh basil
1 medium onion sliced
3 tablespoons of vegetable oil or olive oil
3- 3/4 cans of Water

In a big pot heat up oil, once oil is heated add onions,
saute till onion is translucent but don't burn
Pour tomato puree,use one of the tomato puree
and fill it 3/4 of the way with water and add to the sauce
3 times (3- 3/4 cans of water) stir all together.
if you like thicker sauce use a 1/2 can of water.
Let sauce cook in medium heat for 10 minutes or so
then add the sugar and basil stir and simmer
on low to medium heat for another 30 minutes stirring occasionally....

Enjoy...
                                                                

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