skillet baked ziti

Fruitcakes in the kitchen

Fruitcakes on the street

Struttin’ naked through the crosswalk

In the middle of the week

Half-baked cookies in the oven

Half-baked people on the bus

There’s a little bit of fruitcake left in everyone of us

“Fruitcakes” by Jimmy Buffett

I love PBS cooking shows! One of my favorites in the Saturday morning line up is America’s Test Kitchen.  Although the dialogue can sometimes have that endearing nails on a chalk board feel, the recipes are always solid.  This unique recipe for ziti does not precook the noodles and is all done in a skillet. This is a great midweek recipe- simple, filling, and delicious.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt, divided
3 cups water
12 ounces ziti pasta
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup fresh basil leaf, minced
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 475 F
2. Combine oil, garlic, pepper flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in 12-inch oven safe nonstick skillet and saute over medium-high heat for 1 minute
3. Add tomatoes, water, ziti and 1/2 teaspoon salt
4. Cover and cook, stirring often maintaining a simmer, for about 15 minutes or until pasta is tender (I used tinfoil because I didn’t have a lid for my cast iron skillet)
5. Stir in cream, Parmesan, and basil, season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over ziti. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until cheese has melted and browned, about 10 minutes.

This recipe comes straight from America’s Test Kitchen.

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