Ingredients

The following ingredients have 7 Servings
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage with fennel
  • homemade* or store-bought
  • 1 pound 80% lean ground beef
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • finely chopped
  • 1 onion
  • finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/3 palmful
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • lightly crushed in palm
  • 1 cup beef or veal stock
  • 2 28- to 32-ounce cans Italian tomatoes
  • 3 to 4 cups passata
  • tomato purée or tomato sauce
  • A few leaves of basil
  • torn
  • 1 pound ziti rigate or any short cut pasta with lines
  • 2 cups fresh ricotta cheese
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • divided
  • A few grates of nutmeg
  • 1 large egg
  • beaten
  • 1 pound fresh mozzarella or Fior di Latte
  • grated on large side of box grater (if mozzarella is wet or packed in water
  • pat dry and wrap in a paper towel overnight to firm)
  • A small handful Italian parsley
  • finely chopped
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1/4 cup dry red wine
  • 1 tablespoon
  • 6 to 7 leaves
  • fresh sage
  • very thinly sliced or chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
  • finely chopped
  • About 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seed
  • 1/3 palmful
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon granulated onion
  • 2 large cloves garlic
  • finely chopped or grated

Instruction

  • If making your own sausage, combine meat with wine and seasonings and chill several hours or overnight before using for flavors to combine
  • For the ziti, heat olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat
  • Add sausage, begin to brown and crumble, then add ground meat and brown and crumble
  • Add garlic and onions, red pepper, salt, pepper and oregano, and cook to soften onions, 5-6 minutes
  • Add stock, tomatoes and passata or purée; break up tomatoes and bring to a bubble
  • Reduce heat to a low simmer, add a few leaves of basil and simmer 30 minutes
  • Bring a pot of water to a boil, add salt and undercook pasta about 5-6 minutes, just shy of al dente
  • Reserve 1/2 cup of starchy cooking liquid
  • Preheat oven to 375°F
  • Combine ricotta with half a cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and season with nutmeg
  • Add egg and combine
  • Add pasta, starchy cooking liquid and half the sauce; stir
  • Transfer pasta to large casserole and top with remaining sauce
  • Cover the casserole with mozzarella and remaining Parmigiano cheese
  • Top with parsley and bake 25-30 minutes until brown and bubbly on top