Ingredients
The following ingredients have 6 Servings
- 1 pound ziti rigate
- ¾ cup pickled cherry pepper rings
- chopped
- plus 2 tablespoons brine
- One 28-ounce can chopped or whole San Marzano tomatoes
- One 14-ounce can tomato sauce
- or 2 cups tomato puree
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 2 fat cloves garlic
- crushed
- A few leaves of basil
- torn
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons hot Italian pickled cherry pepper brine
- 1 ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- or about half a palmful
- 1 ½ cups ricotta cheese
- 1 ½ cups half-and-half or cream
- 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- or about 2 ounces
- 1 egg
- ½ cup parsley tops
- finely chopped (reserve a little for topping cooked ziti)
- A few grates of nutmeg
- 1 rotisserie chicken
- skin and bones removed and meat chopped or pulled into small pieces
- One 12-ounce sack of provolone and mozzarella blend
Instruction
- Preheat oven to 400˚F
- Place tomatoes in a food processor and add puree, EVOO, garlic, basil, red pepper flakes, cherry pepper brine and oregano, pulse a few times then puree
- In a large bowl, combine ricotta, half-and-half or cream, grated Parm, egg, all but about 2 tablespoons of parsley, and nutmeg, stir then fold in chicken, cherry peppers, cherry pepper brine and dry ziti
- Pour half the raw tomato sauce in 9x13 pan and add ziti and top with remaining sauce, cover pan tightly with foil and bake 45-60 minutes, until pasta is just tender, uncover and top with provolone and mozzarella and bake 15 minutes to brown, then top with more parsley and cool a few minutes to serve
