Recipe from Hose Co. 4 in Amityville, NY
Firefighter Andrew Ball
"Being on Long Island we all know and love Italian food, haha. So a pasta is always a hit, and the guys love a cheesy dish. We also add garlic (not included in the recipe) because we all just love garlic. And one of the most important things is it's still great when reheated. So if we have to run out while we're eating, it's still great when we come back. "
Yield : ?
Ingredients
- Ziti pasta — 1 (16 oz) package
- Olive oil — 2 tablespoons (+ extra for greasing)
- Hot Italian sausage — 3/4 lb
- Sweet Italian sausage — 3/4 lb
- Yellow onion — 1 large (diced)
- Dried oregano — 1/2 teaspoon
- Dried thyme — 1/4 teaspoon
- Dried rosemary — 1/4 teaspoon
- Marinara sauce — 2 (24 oz) jars
- Water — 2 cups
Cheese Layer
- Ricotta cheese (whole milk) — 1 1/2 cups
- Mozzarella cheese — 8 oz (cut into small cubes)
- Pecorino Romano cheese — 1 cup (grated)
- Fresh parsley — 1 teaspoon (chopped, or to taste)
Directions
Prep
Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a large casserole dish (9x15 preferred, or 9x13 if needed).
Cook the Meat
Remove sausage from casings. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add sausage and diced onion. Cook, breaking up the meat, until browned and onion is translucent (5–7 minutes). Add oregano, thyme, and rosemary. Cook for 1 minute more.
Build the Sauce
Pour in marinara sauce. Add 1 cup water to each jar, shake to rinse, and pour into the pan. Stir and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Skim excess fat from the top.
Cook the Pasta
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook ziti 1–2 minutes less than package directions (about 8 minutes). Drain well and transfer to a large bowl.
Combine
Add the meat sauce to the pasta and stir until fully coated. Let rest for 5 minutes.
Assemble
Spread half of the pasta mixture into the prepared dish.
Top with:
- 1/2 ricotta
- 1/2 mozzarella
- 1/2 Pecorino Romano
Add remaining pasta and spread evenly. Repeat the cheese layers on top.
Bake
Bake in the center of the oven for 30–35 minutes, until hot and cheese is melted.
Remove and let rest for 10–15 minutes.
Top with fresh parsley.
Serve
Cut, plate, and serve hot.
Notes
Use all sweet or all hot sausage if preferred. Parmesan can substitute for Pecorino Romano. Slightly under cooking the pasta keeps it from getting mushy during baking.
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