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Three-Cheese Baked Ziti

Three-Cheese Baked Ziti reads umami 6.5, sweetness 5.0 and richness 4.9 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Italian main, about 1 hr 12 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 7.2 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 5.9 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 2.9 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.7 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.6 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 5.1 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 6.5 · Sweetness 5.0 · Richness 4.9 · Salinity 4.6 · Allium 4.4 · Herbaceous 3.9 · Fruity 3.1 · Sourness 2.5 · Nutty 2.2 · Funk & Ferment 2.2 · Floral 1.7 · Heat 1.6 · Citrus 1.5 · Warm Spice 1.5 · Earthy 1.5 · Bitterness 1.4

What's in it (15)

• rigatoni pasta — 454 g
• olive oil — 27 g
• yellow onion — 110 g
• garlic — 12 g
• dried leaf oregano — 1 g
• red chili flakes — 3 g
• italian-style diced tomatoes — 794 g
• granulated sugar — 4 g
• salt — 7 g
• fresh ricotta — 425 g
• egg — 100 g
• parmesan cheese — 114 g
• basil — 15 g
• shredded mozzarella — 710 g
• black pepper — 3 g

Time & effort: about 1 hr 12 min (1 hr 1 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 192.5 kcal, 11.3 g protein, 8.5 g fat, 17.7 g carbs

Dietary: Vegetarian · Contains dairy · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (10 steps)

1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the ziti and cook 2 minutes short of the package's al dente time, until it still has a firm bite at the center, about 9 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water, and set the pasta aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, 5-6 minutes.
3. Stir in the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
4. Add the crushed tomatoes, sugar, and 1 teaspoon of the salt; bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 12-15 minutes.
5. While the sauce simmers, stir together the ricotta, egg, half the Parmesan, the basil, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the black pepper in a medium bowl until smooth and no streaks of egg remain — the egg is what keeps the ricotta creamy instead of weeping as it bakes.
6. Heat the oven to 375°F. Toss the drained pasta with two-thirds of the tomato sauce and 1 cup of the mozzarella, adding a splash of reserved pasta water if the sauce looks tight.
7. Spread a thin layer of the remaining sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Add half the sauced pasta, dollop with half the ricotta mixture in spoonfuls rather than spreading it smooth, and sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella. Repeat with the remaining pasta, ricotta dollops, and remaining sauce, then top with the last 1 cup mozzarella and the remaining Parmesan.
8. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake until bubbling at the edges, 20 minutes.
9. Uncover and bake until the top is deeply golden and browned in spots, 12-15 minutes more.
10. Let rest 10 minutes before serving so the layers set; scatter with extra basil.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Chicken Parmesan Stuffed Peppers — Italian-American
• Pasta Primavera with Spring Vegetables — Italian-American
• Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage — Italian-American
• Ribollita — Italian
• Greek Stuffed Zucchini Boats with Beef and Rice — Greek

Keep reading: what umami, sweetness, richness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.