| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 2 hr 35 min |
| Active: | 1 hr 15 min |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium red onion, peeled and cut in half
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
- 1 carrot, peeled and grated
- 1 stalk celery, cut in half
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt
- Two 24.5-ounce bottles tomato puree, such as Mutti
- One 4-inch Parmesan rind
- 5 sprigs fresh basil
- 1 cup ricotta, at room temperature
- 1 cup torn stale Tuscan bread, without crust (about 2 small slices)
- 1/2 cup milk, at room temperature
- 1 egg, at room temperature, beaten
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- 1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves, chopped
- Kosher salt
- 1 pound ground sirloin
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 1 pound ziti rigate, cooked in salted boiling water for 5 minutes
- 2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, torn into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Instructions
- For the sauce: Heat a medium Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and then the onion, garlic, carrot, celery and pepper flakes. Cook, stirring often, until the carrots are beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and the tomato puree; rinse out each bottle of puree with 1/3 cup water and add that to the pot as well. Add the Parmesan rind and basil sprigs and stir to combine. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low; simmer for 40 minutes.
- Remove and discard the Parmesan rind, onion, celery, garlic and basil sprigs. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt and the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add the ricotta and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- For the meatballs: In a medium bowl, soak the bread in the milk and egg for 3 minutes, tearing apart the bread with your fingers. Add the Parmesan, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and ground beef. Mix gently with your hands just until combined.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add enough oil to come 1 inch up the side of the pan. When the oil is hot, use a 1-tablespoon scoop to scoop and roll little meatballs. Working in several batches to avoid crowding the pan, add the meatballs to the hot oil and cook until evenly browned, about 3 minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper-towel-lined tray to drain.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, combine the parcooked ziti with 3 or 4 cups of the sauce. Toss well to coat.
- To assemble the dish: Cover the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with 1 cup of the sauce. Next, layer half of the cooked ziti, followed by more sauce. Dot with three-quarters of the meatballs and all of the eggs, and sprinkle with half of the mozzarella and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan. Top with the remaining half of the pasta and then the remaining meatballs and mozzarella. Finish with the remaining sauce and 1/2 cup Parmesan.
- Bake until lightly browned on top and bubbling around the edges, 30 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 1118 |
| Total Fat | 98 g |
| Saturated Fat | 21 g |
| Carbohydrates | 24 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 11 g |
| Protein | 39 g |
| Cholesterol | 163 mg |
| Sodium | 1193 mg |
Reviews
Will try tomorrow!!
Read all the reviews first… so I added 4 garlic cloves to the sauce and lots more basil and red pepper flakes, then I made the meatballs with half pound of spicy Italian sausage and half pound ground sirloin and a huge load of Parmesan in the meatballs as well. It was FANTASTIC!!!! Yummy, will make again for sure!!!!!
I want to make this but 2 24 ounce cans seems like a lot of purée. Is that right?
Made exactly to recipe. I always do this on a first attempt to know what the dish is intended to be, then I tweak as needed if I decide to make it again. I probably won’t give it another go. Although relatively easy, it is VERY time consuming, especially if done all in one day, and you’ll be inundated with dirty dishes by the time you’re done. As for the end result … I found it quite dry and rather bland.
Wonderful…!!! Easy to prepare, and definitely a crowd pleaser…!
This is a good recipe that in my opinion should only be made for very special occasions and holidays. It is very time consuming and would be fun to make with loved ones. There are much easier ziti recipes that take much less time and taste equally as good. Also, if you have a sauce and meatball recipe that you already like, I would use it as the recipe that Giada uses is a little bland.
I have been wanting to make this for awhile. Yes, it is cumbersome and tedious. Yes it is much easier to make baked ziti & lasgna. That said, sometimes easier isn’t always better. I LOVED IT! It is the best of baked ziti & lasgna all rolled into one. For those who like more of a punch; easily remedied ADD Itlalian sausage &/or make your sauce spicier.
I make a version of this dish with my own sauce hit with sriracha, hot italian sausage instead of meatballs. Never tried the eggs, though I can’t imagine it would really add anything to this dish. So good, you eat until you can’t eat any more! Giving 5 stars for my spicy version since I’ve never tried Giada’s way.
I made this recipe and I did have to make my sauce to my taste with fresh herbs. I also switched out ricotta for cottage cheese spiced with fresh basil and parsley and it was delicious.
Made a few adjustments based on other reviews and tasting and it was fantastic!
I made this last night. My husband thought the sauce needed more flavor such as Italian sausage. My daughter thought cooking the meatballs in the sauce would have added more flavor. I’ll try this again, with their suggestions because I know this can be a fabulous dish..