Ingredients
-
1/2 lb ziti pasta
-
2 tablespoons olive oil
-
1 onion, diced
-
6 minced garlic cloves
-
1 cup ricotta cheese
-
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
-
2 cups crushed tomatoes (for this recipe i use cento tomatoes)
-
1/4 teaspoon salt
-
bay leaf
-
1/2 teaspoon fresh black pepper
-
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
-
1/4 cup store bought pesto sauce
Instructions
- preheat oven to 350.
- oil an 8x8 baking dish.
- cook pasta in salted water for 7 min, drain, and tinse.
- heat 1 1/2 tbsp of the oil in a pan over med- low heat.
- cook onion until it becomes translucent.
- add garlic and cook it for 30 sec.
- add tomato, salt, and bay leaf.
- raise heat to medium.
- simmer mixture for 10 min or until it gets very thick.
- remove the bay leaf and stir in 1/4 tsp pepper.
- in a bowl, combine the pesto, half the parmesan, the ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella, and the remaining black pepper.
- put 1/2 of the pasta in the baking dish.
- top with 1/3 of the sauce.
- spread entire cheese mixture evenly over the sauce.
- cover with the remaining pasta, sauce, and cheese.
- drizzle 1/2 tbsp olive oil over the top layer of cheese.
- bake until bubbling (about 30 min).
- let stand at least 10 minutes before cutting.