How to Make Perfect Spicy Ziti w/ Ricotta

Spicy Ziti w/ Ricotta. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the ziti, and return to a boil.

Top with all of the ricotta and half of the sauce. Drain pasta; fold into turkey mixture. Baked ziti with ricotta and the melted cheese topping is similar to lasagna, but is made with ziti noodles and is not layered like lasagna, making this an easier dish to put together for a weeknight meal. You can have Spicy Ziti w/ Ricotta using 4 ingredients and 6 steps. Here is how you achieve it.

Ingredients of Spicy Ziti w/ Ricotta

1. You need 1 lb of ziti noodles.
2. You need 4 C of tomato-meat sauce (see my recipes if needed).
3. Prepare 1 T of crushed pepper flakes.
4. You need 8 oz of ricotta cheese.

There are many variations you can do with this baked ziti dish to make it your own creation. Ricotta cheese is a traditional addition to baked ziti, but I leave it out because it has a tendency to get dry and grainy when baked. I use heavy cream to add richness instead. For the mozzarella cheese, I recommend using whole milk mozzarella; it melts beautifully.

Spicy Ziti w/ Ricotta step by step

1. Boil noodles until al dente. Drain. Run under cool water to stop the cooking process. Drizzle with olive oil or butter to prevent oxidation..
2. Bring meat sauce to a simmer. Add crushed pepper flakes. Cook 5 minutes..
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine noodles and meat sauce. Mix together..
4. Add ricotta cheese. Mix together..
5. Alternatively, transfer to a casserole dish after adding ricotta cheese, sprinkle mozzarella or parmesean atop, and bake at 400° for approximately 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly..
6. Variations; Grilled vegetables, diced tomatoes, roasted or raw bell peppers, roasted or creamed garlic, shallots, habanero, bacon, pancetta, prosciutto, salami, capicola, pepperjack cheese, mushrooms, mozzarella, grilled sausage, goat cheese, eggplant, leeks, ramps, lemon, marjoram, parsley, paprika, chives, scallions, rosemary, thyme, basil, spinach, arugula, asiago, fontina, gruyere, parmigiano reggiano, pecorino, romano, heavy cream, Italian seasoning, celery seed, fennel seed, peppercorn melange, zucchini, yellow squash, capers,.

Add ricotta, parmesan, parsley, egg, salt, pepper, and half of sauce to meat and mix well. Add ziti and toss gently to coat. Heat heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. See recipes for Baked ziti, Spicy Ziti w/ Ricotta too. Return the pot back to the stove.