Four Cheese Baked Ziti Recipes

FOUR-CHEESE BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook the onion, green pepper and carrots until crisp-tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the tomatoes, broth and pepper flakes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. , Cook ziti according to package directions; drain. Stir in the vegetable mixture, ricotta cheese, provolone cheese and basil. , Transfer to a 13x9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Bake, uncovered, at 425° for 10-15 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.

FOUR CHEESE BAKED PENNE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Combine the cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella and parsley in a bowl and stir with a fork to incorporate and set aside. Cook pasta until tender but still firm, a minute or 2 less than the package directs. Drain.
• Heat the oil in the same pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, rosemary, chili flakes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes until sauce thickens slightly. Return pasta to pot with sauce and turn off heat. Add cottage cheese mixture.
• Spray a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray then transfer pasta mixture to pan. Top with remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella and the parmesan. Bake until heated through and cheese is melted, 30 minutes.
• Excellent source of: Protein, Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Calcium, Iron, Phosphorus, Potassium
• Good source of: Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Copper, Manganese, Selenium, Zinc

FOUR CHEESE BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Butter a 2 quart ovenproof casserole dish; set aside.
• Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain.
• Meanwhile, bring half-and-half, basil, and crushed red pepper to a simmer in a heavy, large saucepan over medium high heat. Add cheeses 1 handful at a time, stirring constantly until cheeses are melted and smooth. Remove from heat, and stir in egg yolks. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Mix in pasta. Spoon into prepared dish.
• Bake until heated through, approximately 10 minutes. Serve hot.

FIVE-CHEESE ZITI AL FORNO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cook the pasta according to the package directions for al dente; drain., Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine the marinara sauce, Alfredo sauce, 1 cup mozzarella and the ricotta, provolone and Romano. Cook over medium heat until sauce begins to simmer and cheeses are melted. Stir in cooked pasta; pour mixture into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese., In a small bowl, stir together Parmesan, bread crumbs, garlic and olive oil; sprinkle over the pasta., Bake, uncovered, until mixture is bubbly and topping is golden brown, 30-40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley or basil if desired.Freeze option: Cool the unbaked casserole; cover and freeze. To use, partially thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Cover casserole with foil; bake 50 minutes. Uncover; bake until heated through and a thermometer inserted in center reads 165°, 15-20 minutes longer.

VEGETARIAN FOUR-CHEESE MUSHROOM BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a generous pinch of salt, then add pasta. Cook until barely al dente, about 8 minutes, or about 2/3 of the time recommended on the pasta package directions. Drain.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the mushrooms in olive oil until softened, about 6-7 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer about 15 minutes.
• In an 8" x 8" dish, layer half the cooked pasta, then half the tomato sauce. Cover with the provolone slices. Add the sour cream in spoonfuls, then carefully spread into a thin layer. Top with the Gorgonzola cheese. Add the remaining pasta, then the mozzarella cheese. Spread the rest of the pasta sauce over the top, and finally top with the Parmesan cheese.
• Cook for 30 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.

EXTRA CHEESY BAKED ZITI

Steps:

• Combine canned tomatoes and their juices, basil, garlic, salt, pepper and the mascarpone cheese in a blender or food processor. (A food mill will also work.) Blend until the basil and garlic are chopped into tiny bits and the sauce is well mixed. Taste and adjust with additional salt as needed. Set aside.
• Heat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (if your oven runs hot, reduce this to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.)
• Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, add the pasta, and then cook for about half of the recommended cook time on the package (5 or 6 minutes). Save 1/2 cup of the pasta water, drain the pasta, and then place it back into the pot. Undercooking the pasta makes sure that it does not overcook when baked with the sauce in the oven.
• In a medium bowl, toss the mozzarella, Fontina and Pecorino Romano cheese together.
• Add the sauce, 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water and three-quarters of the shredded cheese mix to the pot with pasta. Stir well. The mixture should look a bit thin, if it seems thick, add a splash more of the reserved pasta water.
• Transfer the ziti mixture to a large baking dish and top with the remaining shredded cheese mix. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted and golden brown on top. Allow the baked ziti to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

OLIVE GARDEN FIVE CHEESE ZITI AL FORNO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Cook the pasta one minute shy of the directions on the box and drain.
• In a large metal bowl add the pasta, marinara sauce, alfredo sauce, ricotta cheese and fontina cheese and mix well.
• Add to a large oven safe skillet or 9x13 pan.
• Mix the mozzarella, panko, romano, parmesan and garlic together and add the topping over the pasta.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes uncovered until golden brown and bubbly.

BAKED ZITI WITH FOUR CHEESES

Steps:

• Melt butter over moderately-low heat, stir in flour and cook 3 minutes.
• Remove from heat and whisk in hot milk.
• Return pan to heat, bring to a boil, whisking, for 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in nutmeg, ¾ tsp of salt and ¼ tsp of pepper.
• In a small bowl, combine 1 cup of the Gruyere, ½ cup of the Fontina and ½ cup of the Parmesan; whisk cheese into the sauce, ½ cup at a time, until cheese is melted.
• Season to taste.
• Preheat oven to 390 degrees F.
• Boil ziti until al dente.
• Drain well and turn into a buttered 13 x 9 x 2 inch pyrex baking dish.
• Season with remaining ¼ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper.
• Pour sauce over and combine.
• Sprinkle remaining ½ cup Gruyere, ½ cup Parmesan, 1 ½ cups Fontina and all of the mozzarella.
• Bake for 20 minutes, or until pale golden-brown.

--4 CHEESE BAKED ZITI--

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and return to the pan.
• Stir in Alfredo sauce and sour cream. Spoon half into a lightly greased 3-qt. baking dish.
• Combine the eggs, ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, Romano cheese and parsley; spread over pasta.
• Top with remaining pasta mixture; sprinkle with mozzarella and remaining Parmesan.
• Cover and bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until bubbly.
• Serve with tossed salad and buttered Italian bread.