United States · No.51 / 103
Baked ziti
Baked ziti
Very firm ziti is tossed with Parmigiano béchamel and mozzarella, folded with pancetta tomato sauce so streaks remain, baked, and broiled.
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Meet the dish
Italian-American tube pasta baked with tomato, white cheese sauce, and mozzarella
Short tubes carry acidic tomato sauce, Parmigiano béchamel, and melting mozzarella inside and out. Leaving red and white streaks instead of blending everything flat gives each baked bite a different balance.
Pasta shapes to use
- Ziti, penne, rigatoni, or another short tube
Key ingredients
- Whole tomatoes
- Pancetta
- Parmigiano béchamel
- Mozzarella
- Onion
- Basil
Follow the cooking scenes
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Step 1: Make white and red sauces separately
Cook butter and flour for one minute, whisk in warm milk, simmer for 8–10 minutes, and melt in Parmigiano. Separately brown pancetta, onion, garlic, chili, and tomato paste; add whole tomatoes, simmer 20–25 minutes, pulse mostly smooth, and add basil.
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Step 2: Boil pasta for only five minutes
Heat the oven to 175°C and boil the tubes for about five minutes, leaving them very firm. Toss béchamel with pasta and mozzarella, reserve one cup of tomato sauce, and fold the rest through only a few times so streaks remain.
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Step 3: Bake, broil, and rest
Transfer to a dish, dot with reserved tomato sauce, and scatter Parmigiano. Bake for 15–20 minutes until bubbling, broil for about four minutes until dark in spots, and rest for five minutes.
What to watch for
- The oven finishes cooking the tubes, so stop the initial boil well before normal al dente. Keep enough moisture in the tomato sauce to survive absorption.
- Fold the red and white sauces only a few times. An uneven top creates a useful mix of bubbling sauce, melted cheese, and browned corners.
What sets it apart
This version replaces dry ricotta pockets with a Parmigiano béchamel that coats the tubes while visible streaks of tomato remain.