Delicious baked pasta!

I have an Italian friend visiting who is giving us a crash course in Italian cooking so the next several posts will be of delicious Italian dishes. There is no better way to learn how to cook Italian than from an authentic Italian. First we will start off with decadent Baked Ziti.

Baked Ziti

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4


Ingredients:

8 ounces of rigatoni
2 cups of marinara sauce (from a can or make your own)
16 large basil leaves torn into bite size pieces
1 ounce of Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
3/4 cup ricotta
2 ounces of fresh mozzarella, sliced into 1/4 inch crescents
2 Tbsps of Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and add 2 Tbsps of salt. Add the rigatoni and cook for a minute less than the package directions say for al dente. Drain the rigatoni and return it to the pot.
Add the marinara sauce, the basil and half the Parmigiano to the pasta. Season with salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Transfer the mixture to a 13 X 9 X 2 inch baking dish. Dollop the ricotta on the surface of the pasta, place in the oven, and bake until sauce has coated the pasta, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and scatter the mozzarella cheese evenly over the top of the pasta and sprinkle with the remaining Parmigiano. Turn on the broiler. Place the baking dish on the middle rack of the oven and cook until the cheese is melted and lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Divide the pasta among 4 plates.