Tonight’s Family Dinner: Baked Ziti

Do you ever wake up knowing what you want for dinner? Today, I know I want a big Italian style meal. Yes, it was about 6:30 am when I made that decision. My feeling on this early morning decision is that anticipation will make for a great Sunday!

So what exactly am I anticipating? My Baked Ziti is very lasagna like but without the work. Easy homemade marinara, crumbled sweet Italian sausage (the key to a tasty Baked Ziti in my humble opinion), and lots of cheese! Add a fresh green salad, some extra garlicky garlic bread and I am a very, very happy girl. Treat yourself to an Italian feast tonight!

Baked Ziti Recipe

Baked Ziti with Homemade Marinara Sauce

Serves 8

First, make the Marinara Sauce:

• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/3 cup finely diced onion
• 1/2 cup white wine

1. Heat large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil, then onions. Cook onions until translucent.

2. While onions are cooking, add tomatoes, tomato paste, parsley, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper to food processor or blender. Pulse until smooth.

3. Add wine and tomato sauce to onions. Simmer for 30 minutes over medium low, stirring occasionally.

Second, make the Baked Ziti:

• 1 lb ziti pasta
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 lb ground sweet sausage (not in casings)
• Marinara sauce (see above)
• 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 T garlic powder
• 1 T flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 6-8 slices provolone cheese (not smoked)
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 baking disk to prevent sticking.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add ziti and cook to al dente, about 7-8 minutes. Do not overcook the pasta here or your Baked Ziti will be mushy. Drain.

3. In a large, deep skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add onions and sweet sausage. When sausage is browned, add marinara. Simmer for 10 minutes.

4. While meat sauce is simmering, add ricotta, salt, garlic powder and parsley to a medium bowl. Stir until combined. Set aside.

5. Layer the ingredients in the baking dish as follows: 1/4 cup meat sauce, 1/2 of ziti, 1/2 of ricotta mixture, 1/2 of provolone cheese, 1/2 of mozzarella cheese, 1/2 of remaining meat sauce,  1/2 of parmesan cheese, then repeat with remaining 1/2 of ingredients. Cover with tin foil.

6. Bake for 15 minutes with foil. Remove foil and bake for remaining 15 minutes until cheeses are melted and gooey. Allow ziti to sit for 10 minutes before serving. This will allow the dish to set.

Fight for your Corn: Grilled Parmesan Lime Corn on the Cob

It has been a tough summer here on the East coast when it comes to getting great fresh corn. Earlier in the year I was reading that we could expect a shortage of the sweet stuff. Now I read that farmers have a larger supply of corn than expected. I won’t talk about the law of supply and demand here but what I can say is that I have not been happy with my corn choices this season. First, I tried my grocery store…they didn’t even have any fresh corn! What? None at all? Second, I tried the farmers market. The selection was meager and dried out. I almost gave up when I finally found a few, only a few, ears of good looking cobs. I grabbed them like I was shopping for a TV on Black Friday (imagine elbows out and a fighting stance) and headed straight for the register. I will have at least one great corn cob before the summer is out!

This corn side dish is juicy and sweet, with a nice salty bite from the parmesan.  The lime balances everything out. While I wanted fresh corn for this dish, the reality is that this works wonders for frozen corn on the cob as well. Grab some corn this week, turn on the grill (indoor or outside) and eat this quintessential summer treat!

Grilled Parmesan Lime Corn on the Cob

Ingredients

4 Corn on the Cob, husked and cleaned

6 Cups Water

1 Tbsp Vegetable oil

3 Tbsp Butter, softened

1 Garlic clove, peeled

1 Tbsp Lime juice

1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded

1/2 tsp Salt

Pinch Cayenne pepper
Directions

1. Bring water to a boil. Add corn. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove from water.
2. Heat grill (indoor or outdoor) to medium heat. Brush grill with 1/3 of the oil.
3. Grill corn until there are grill marks on all sides, about 5 minutes. Brush corn with remaining oil as needed.
4. While corn is grilling, grate garlic (grating will prevent large chunks of garlic) into butter. Add lime juice, cayenne pepper (just a slight pinch), and salt. Mix well.
5. Remove corn from grill. Brush with butter mixture, then roll or pat with Parmesan. Serve with a lime wedge.

Spaghetti Carbonara

There are a number of theories about how Spaghetti Carbonara, also known as Pasta Alla Carbonara, came into existence. One of the common theories is that this tasty pasta dish was served to coal workers in Italy given that ‘alla carbonara’ is supposedly defined as “coal worker’s style”. Here’s my down home, non-historian, and purely selfish take on Spaghetti Carbonara…if it includes pancetta (or any type of bacon), cream, and parmesan cheese, I am in.

This dish has only a few ingredients and so much rich flavor. A little bit really goes a long way. It is also open to flexibility, so if you don’t want to spend the extra money on pancetta, pick up some bacon. Although I have to say, with only a quarter pound of pancetta needed, a splurge may be in order. This dish can also be made in the same amount of time it takes to make your standard Spaghetti with marinara or meat sauce on a week night. So shake things up this week and surprise your family (and yourself) with this delicious recipe. Be sure to fill me in on how it goes!

Ingredients

3/4 lb Dried Spaghetti

1/4 lb Pancetta, sliced 1/4 in thick, diced small

1 Small onion, diced

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 1/2 Cups Heavy cream

1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese, grated

1 Egg

Salt and Pepper to taste

Flat Leaf Italian Parsley, chopped for garnish

Directions

1. Cook spaghetti according to package directions.
2. In large skillet, sauté onions and pancetta over medium heat in olive oil until pancetta is crisp. Remove half of the pancetta
   mixture to a paper towel.
3. Drain pasta and immediately add to sauté pan. Toss pasta to ensure an even coat in oil.
4. In a bowl whisk cream, Parmesan, and egg.
5. Over low heat, add egg mixture and cook until just heated, tossing consistently, about 3 minutes.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
7. Serve immediately, garnished with the set aside pancetta mixture and parsley.