Baked Ziti (ziti Al Forno)

Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 lb mushroom, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (16 ounce) can tomato puree
• 1 (28 ounce) can italian-style tomatoes
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup soft breadcrumbs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 dash each of pepper and ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce (above recipe)
• 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
• 1 (16 ounce) package ziti pasta or 1 (16 ounce) package mostaccioli pasta
• salt water
• 1 lb mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Recipe

• 1 sauce.
• 2 melt butter and oil in lg. pan over medium heat.
• 3 add onion and mushrooms and cook until soft.
• 4 add garlic, tomato puree, tomatoes (break up with a spoon) and their liquid, wine, salt, bay leaf, oregano, pepper and parsley: bring to a boil.
• 5 cover, reduce heat and simmer until sauce is reduced to about 5 cups (about 1 1/2 hours). remove bay leaf.
• 6 meatballs.
• 7 melt 1/2 tbsp each butter and oil in large frying pan over medium heat.
• 8 add onion and cook until lightly browned: transfter to mixing bowl and cool.
• 9 beat in egg, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, nutmeg and 1/2 cup sauce.
• 10 add ground beef and mix lightly until blended.
• 11 shape into 1 inch meatballs and in same pan onion were cooked in heat remaining butter and oil over medium heat.
• 12 brown meatballs about half at a time.
• 13 remove when brown and add to sauce.
• 14 pasta.
• 15 cook ziti in lg. pot in salted water to al dente per directions of package.
• 16 drain well and combine with meatball mixture.
• 17 spread in a shallow 4 quart casserole.
• 18 cover evenly with mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
• 19 bake uncovered in 350 oven for 30-35 minutes and cheese is golden brown.