Cooking With Rania: Baked Ziti Al Telefono

Cooking with Rania. Bake Ziti Al Telephone

Cooking with Rania. Bake Ziti Al Phone 03:54

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - This hearty and delicious Italian dish will keep you warm on cold winter nights. Here is the recipe from Rania Harris.

Roasted Ziti Al Telefono

(Photo: KDKA)

1# Ziti pasta (Italian quality product) cooked al dente
2 cups homemade marinara sauce (see recipe below)
2 cups balsamic vinegar (see recipe below)
1# Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella – cut into ½ inch cubes
½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
½ cup breadcrumbs

Direction:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Place the cooked and cooled ziti in a large bowl. Add tomato sauce, balsamic vinegar, mozzarella and grated cheese and mix well. Place in a well-greased 9" x 13" casserole dish, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and bake in the oven until golden and crispy, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Yield: 8 servings

Homemade marinara sauce

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 - 35 oz can grind ripe tomatoes into their puree
Salt and fresh pepper to taste
a pinch of sugar
2 sprigs of basil

Direction:

Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic cloves and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. add tomatoes; Season with salt and pepper. Add the sugar and basil leaves and bring to the boil. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened to 3 cups, about 30 minutes. Remove basil leaves and garlic.

Balsamella sauce

4 tablespoons of fat butter
3 spoons of flour
2 glasses of milk
Salt to taste
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Melt the butter in a saucepan and mix in the flour. Cook the flour mixture for a minute or two. Add the milk while continuing to beat. Season with salt and add nutmeg. Continue cooking over medium-high heat, stirring and being careful not to burn the mixture to the bottom of the pan. Cook until mixture begins to boil and thicken.

Yield: 2 cups