Spiderweb Baked Ziti
Ingredients
Ziti
- 1 lb ziti or penne
- 1 lb Italian sausage or ground beef casings removed
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 jars (24 oz) marinara sauce
- 15 oz whole milk ricotta divided
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan divided
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella divided
- 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
- salt and black pepper to taste
Spiderweb and spiders
- 1/2 cup ricotta from the 15 oz tub above
- 2 tbsp milk
- 6 large pitted black olives
Method
- Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Boil the pasta in well-salted water for 2 minutes less than the package says. Drain.
- Brown the sausage with the onion in a large skillet, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic for 30 seconds, then stir in the marinara and Italian seasoning.
- Set aside 1/2 cup of the ricotta for the web. Mix the rest with the egg, half the Parmesan and 1 cup of the mozzarella.
- Toss the pasta with two-thirds of the meat sauce. Spread half in the baking dish, dot with the ricotta mixture, then add the rest of the pasta.
- Spoon the remaining sauce over the top and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan, leaving the center saucy where the web will show.
- Stir the reserved ricotta with the milk until smooth and spoon it into a zip-top bag. Snip a small corner and pipe 4 rings on top, then drag a knife from the center out to the edges 8 times to make a web.
- Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes more, until bubbling at the edges.
- For spiders, cut olives in half lengthwise for bodies and slice the rest into thin strips for legs. Arrange on top and rest 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Make ahead: assemble without the web, cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Pipe the web just before baking and add 10 to 15 minutes to the covered bake time.
Transport: wrap the hot dish in foil and a thick towel and carry it in an insulated bag. It stays hot about an hour.
Vegetarian: skip the meat and stir 2 cups of sautéed mushrooms and spinach into the sauce.