Every man should know how to make at least one dish really well. For me, that dish is baked Ziti. Below is the recipe.
1 lb. ziti noodles.
1 can of marinara sauce.
1 small can of diced tomatoes (preferably italian style)
4 ounces of pepperoni slices
2 cups of mixed italian cheeses (they usually come mixed pre-packaged).
1 tablespoon of oregano
1 tablespoon of basil
Dice the Pepperoni slices. Boil the ziti. Drain. Mix in marinara, tomatoes, pepperoni, basil, oregano, and one cup of the mixed italian cheese. Put mix in casserole dish. Cover with remaining cup of italian cheese. Bake casserole at 275 degrees for 45 minutes.
Here's the best thing about this dish: It actually gets better the older it is when you have to reheat it. It develops a more chewy and infused character.
I used to live with Norm and I once made a pan of baked ziti and didn't even eat any of it straight out of the oven. Instead, I left the pan of ziti in the fridge to ripen into it's true chewy deliciousness. The next morning I woke up and half the pan was gone. My roommate, Norm, was layed out on the couch next to a tomato stained plate.
He managed to lift his head out of his food induced coma and say, "Russell, you make a damn fine baked ziti."
Praise from Caesar.
