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Tower of Stuffed Ziti

17/11/2023

The tower of stuffed ziti is a hearty and spectacular dish that can be a nice surprise for your guests. Here is the recipe to prepare this dish.

Ingredients

  • 500 g of long ziti (tube-shaped pasta)
  • 300 g of ricotta cheese
  • 200 g of mozzarella
  • 50 g of grated parmesan cheese
  • 2 eggs
  • 200 g of ground meat (beef or pork)
  • 300 ml of tomato purée
  • 1 small onion
  • Fresh basil to taste
  • Extra virgin olive oil to taste
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation

  1. Pasta cooking: Cook the ziti in plenty of salted water following the instructions for al dente cooking. Drain them and let them cool separately so they don’t stick together.

  2. Ragù preparation: In a pan, gently fry the finely chopped onion in extra virgin olive oil. Add the ground meat and cook until it is well browned. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Then, add the tomato purée and let it simmer over medium heat for at least 20 minutes. At the end of cooking, add some torn basil leaves.

  3. Filling preparation: In a bowl, mix the ricotta with the eggs, grated parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Cut the mozzarella into small cubes and add them to the mixture.

  4. Stuffing the ziti: Take each zito and stuff it with the mixture of ricotta, eggs, and mozzarella. Proceed with all the pasta you have available.

  5. Assembling the tower: In a baking dish, pour some of the ragù on the bottom and start arranging the ziti vertically next to each other until all the space is filled. Once the dish is filled, pour the remaining ragù over the pasta, making sure it gets between the ziti.

  6. Oven baking: Sprinkle the surface with more parmesan cheese and bake at 200 °C for about 20 minutes or until the surface is golden and the mozzarella is well melted.

  7. Serving: Let the tower of stuffed ziti rest for a few minutes before serving to your guests.

Curiosity

Ziti are a traditionally Neapolitan pasta shape, often used to celebrate important events, such as weddings. The “Tower of Ziti” elevates this pasta shape to a true centerpiece, transforming a classic dish into something truly special.

Tower of Stuffed Ziti