Baked Ziti Should Be ALL Crispy Edges

ricotta cheese

🥗Healthier: cottage cheese

💰Cheaper: cream cheese

Cottage cheese is lower in fat and provides a similar texture.

ground beef

🥗Healthier: ground turkey

💰Cheaper: ground pork

Ground turkey is leaner, while ground pork can be less expensive.

mozzarella cheese

🥗Healthier: part-skim mozzarella

💰Cheaper: provolone cheese

Part-skim mozzarella reduces calories while provolone can be more affordable.

Parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: grated Pecorino Romano

Nutritional yeast is dairy-free and adds a cheesy flavor.

Swap a traditional baking dish for a sizzle platter to maximize crispy edges.

Add the whole container of whole milk ricotta to a blender and whip until smooth.

Use a food mill to puree beautiful Italian tomatoes, squeezing plum tomatoes to help the process.

Cook down the tomato puree to reduce it to a weekday sauce.

Combine 1 pound of meat (1/3 lb veal beef and 1/3 lb pork) with 1 egg, breaking up the meat to coat it evenly with the egg.

Mix together a slurry of tomato sauce, salt, ricotta, grated pecorino Romano cheese, breadcrumbs, grated garlic, and chopped parsley in a bowl.

Incorporate the slurry into the meat and egg mixture to create a flavorful meatball mixture.

Form mini meatballs by making a log of the mixture, then pinching off small pieces and rolling them into balls.

Let the meatballs marinate for at least 30 minutes, preferably longer.

Coat the bottom of a large non-stick pan with extra virgin olive oil and heat it up.

Add a basil stem and garlic to the oil to infuse flavor as it heats.

Add the tomatoes to the pan swiftly and season with salt, bringing to a simmer.

Shallow fry the meatballs in another pan with olive oil, allowing them to brown on one side before flipping them.

Once browned, drain the fat and add the meatballs to the tomato sauce, stirring to combine and simmer.

Slice and dice fresh mozzarella and prepare low moisture mozzarella by slicing and grating it.

Preheat the oven to 500°F to melt the cheese and then switch to broiler for finishing touches.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens