Baked Ziti

Ingredients

* 1 pound dried ziti pasta
* Kosher salt
* 3 1/2 cups Quick Tomato Sauce
* 1 pound fresh mozzarella, half cut into 1/2-inch cubes and half thinly sliced
* 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, divided
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* Pinch red pepper flakes

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously, and boil the pasta until al dente, tender but still slightly firm. Drain.

Toss the cooked pasta with the marinara sauce, cubed mozzarella, half the Parmesan cheese, black pepper, and pepper flakes. Transfer the pasta to an oiled 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Cover the top of the pasta with the sliced mozzarella, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Bake until lightly browned and hot, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Quick Tomato Sauce

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound sweet and or spicy Italian sausages, casing removed and crumbled

1/4 medium onion, diced (about 3 tablespoons)

3 cloves garlic, chopped

3 1/2 cups whole, peeled, canned tomatoes in puree, (one 28-ounce can), roughly chopped

Sprig fresh thyme

Sprig fresh basil

2 teaspoons kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook the sausage until beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the onion and garlic, stirring, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes more. Add the tomatoes and the herb sprigs and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.

Remove and discard the herb sprigs. Stir in the salt and season with pepper, to taste. Use now or store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.

Vince Curatola's Spaghetti Marinara Recipe

1 pound spaghetti
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
3 cloves of garlic
1 28-ounce can of plum tomatoes
1 small can anchovy filets
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon oregano
10 leaves basil
1/2 cup Marsala wine (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup of grated Romano cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Once the water comes to a boil, add a generous handful of salt. Cook the pasta to al dente according to the package directions.

In large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté garlic in EVOO until slightly golden. Add tomatoes and crush with fork. Cook for about 5 minutes, then lower flame and simmer. Mash anchovies with the oil from the can to a paste consistency and add to sauce. Add sugar and simmer for 10 minutes. Add oregano, basil and Marsala wine. Continue to simmer for 10 more minutes. Sprinkle with grated Romano cheese and serve.

Nopa's 9-Hour Bolognese

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound uncooked or cooked beef, pork or lamb, or a mix, ground or finely chopped (see note)

1 tablespoon kosher salt + more to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup yellow chopped onion, in small dice

Freshly ground pepper to taste

1 cup chopped carrots, in small dice

1 cup chopped celery, in small dice

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)

1 1/2 cups dry white wine

2 cups chopped canned tomatoes with juice

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

INSTRUCTIONS:

Instructions: Rub the salt into the ground or chopped meat, preferably 24 hours ahead of time.

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat, add the oil and butter. When the butter melts, add the onion and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Saute until onion has lost its crunch and become sweet, 8-10 minutes. Add carrots, celery, another pinch of salt, and cook until they, too, have lost their crunch, another 8-10 minutes.

If you are using raw meat, add it first and cook until all the pink is gone. If you are using cooked meat, cook until it is completely coated with the vegetable base and has cooked out any of its pinkness, as well. If using both raw and cooked meat, cook raw meat first, until it is the same doneness as the cooked meat, then add the cooked meat. Make sure you break up any big clumps of meat.

Add milk. This will look like a lot of liquid, but it will all cook off over time. Reduce heat to low and stir frequently to prevent burning. Simmer until all liquid has evaporated, about 1-1 1/2 hours, stirring every 10 minutes. Add nutmeg, if using.

Add wine and simmer as you did the milk, until it evaporates, another 1-1 1/2 hours, stirring about every 10 minutes.

Carefully add tomatoes, stirring them into the sauce. Reduce heat as low as it will go, and cook for 3 hours. Stir occasionally to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom.

Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed. Serve over pasta or creamy polenta and top with Parmesan cheese and black pepper.

Note: To use up bits of cooked meat, it's best to chop it rather than grinding it.

Per serving: 270 calories, 13 g protein, g 10 carbohydrate, 16 g fat (8 g saturated), 62 mg cholesterol, 1,078 mg sodium, 2 g fiber.