Baked Ziti.......yummmmmmmmmm

We're heading into Fall...that means cold. Cold means comfort! I've been craving mac and cheese for several days now, but have not made the commitment to actually move forward on this craving. Last night, I came close with baked ziti. I picked up a box of the tiny, tubular pasta at the store the other day and let the recipe start stewing. After a few days of thinking on it, here's where I went...... The outcome? A deliciously rich, creamy, cheesy pasta bake, perfect for a 45degree Fall Cleveland evening.



For starters, I had to make an italian sausage bolognese. This is a very simple sauce, the recipe for which I've posted on my Facebook cooking page. Let me know if anyone needs this recipe!



BAKED ZITI

• 3-4 cups Italian Sausage bolognese

Preheat oven to 425degrees.

You'll also want to pull together your bread topping and let it sit for a few minutes. The bread will soak up all the goodness and bake beautifully over your pasta....

• 1/4 cup of milk


• whisk together with


• 2 large eggs and a pinch of salt


• fold in


• 3 slices of fresh bread, diced


• 2 cups of grated cheeses (I used mozzarella and mild cheddar...try out some different flavors. You're going to use the same cheeses in a sauce for your pasta, below...)

1/2 pound ziti (1/2 a box...boiled in heavily salted water to al dente...about 6 minutes)

• once your pasta is drained, throw it in a big bowl and add a splash of milk

Add 1 1/2 cups of your bolognese to your pasta. Make the following cream sauce and add to the pasta as well....

• 3 T butter


• 2 T flour


• whisk these together to form a roux and then slowly add the next group of ingredients, whisking in one by one and bringing up to heat...


• 1/2 t cayenne


• 1-1 1/2 t nutmeg


• 1 1/2 cups milk


• 1 cup salted water, reserved from your pasta


• allow to cook until thickened and reduced, then whisk in....


• 1/2 cup creamy cheese (like a cream cheese or mascarpone...or even a goat cheese!)


• 2 cups of assorted other grated cheeses (I used mozzarella and mild cheddar...parmesan or romano would work great, too)

In a deep well oiled casserole, layer 1/2 cup or so of your bolognese to just cover the bottom, top with the pasta concoction you've made above, another layer of sauce over the pasta, and then top with the diced bread mixture. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden and crusty on top. (I put my casserole on a cookie sheet in case of overflow...it did overflow a little!) Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes and serve hot! Sprinkle with some freshly chopped basil and more sauce and cheese if you're feeling especially in need of some extra comfort....

May your eats be delicious and your dinners divine!!

Ashley