Things You'll Need:
- 1 (14 oz.) can chopped roma tomatoes
- 5 cloves fresh garlic, diced
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 1/2 tbsp. dried basil
- 1 tbsp. dried oregano
- 1 lb. ground sirloin
- 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Olive oil
- 1 tbsp. honey
- 1 (16 oz.) box ziti pasta
- Heavy bottomed saucepan
- 9 x 9-inch casserole dish
- Stock pot
- Large bowl
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Step 1
Make the sauce. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in the saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and a dash of salt and pepper. Cook for five or six minutes, or until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 3 minutes. Turn the heat to medium high and add the beef. Stir with a wooden spoon to break up the meat and cook over medium high heat . Cook until the beef is cooked through and dark brown. You may pour off some of the oil at this point, if you like. Add the crushed tomatoes and stir to incorporate. Add the honey, basil and oregano and taste. Add salt and pepper to your liking. When it comes to a simmer, lower the temp and cover with a tight lid. Cook for two hours, for best results. This sauce can be made ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator for up to a week.
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Step 2
Prep the pasta. The ziti needs to be at least partially cooked before assembling the final product. Bring 8 cups of lightly salted water to a boil in the stock pot. Once it is boiling, add 2/3 of the box of ziti. It may not look like enough pasta, but the ziti will expand when boiled. Cook for a minute or two less than the instructions on the box, stirring frequently to keep the noodles from sticking to each other and the pot itself. Strain the pasta and set aside until the sauce is ready.
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Step 3
Assemble the pasta. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. If you are using the sauce from the refrigerator, reheat in a saucepan. In a bowl, put 2/3 of the sauce and the noodles together and stir to combine. Dish half of the ziti mixture into the casserole dish. Sprinkle half of the mozzarella and half of the parmesan on top. Dish the other half of the ziti mixture on top of the first half, and sprinkle the remainder of both cheeses on top. Put the casserole into the oven on the middle rack and let cook for 10 to 15 minutes, checking periodically for a brown top. Once it is a golden brown, remove and let cool.
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Step 4
Plating the ziti. Take the extra sauce and spoon a 1/4 cup onto each plate. Cut the ziti into four pieces and plate on top of the sauce. Serve immediately with a salad of mixed greens dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette and warm, crusty garlic bread. Serves 4.
