Easy baked ziti

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 200°C/390°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Step 2

In a saucepan, saute the onion in a splash of olive oil until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.

Step 3

Add the tomatoes, stock, basil, sugar, salt and pepper then bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and allow to cook for 7-10 minutes until the sauce has reduced slightly.

Step 4

While the sauce cooks, combine the ingredients for the cheese cream and set aside.

Step 5

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 7-8 minutes. The pasta should be very firm still as it will continue cooking in the oven. Reserve ½ cup cooking water then drain the pasta.

Step 6

Combine the cooked pasta with the tomato sauce and a few tablespoons of pasta cooking water. At this point the pasta needs to be quite wet and saucy.

Step 7

Transfer half of the pasta to a suitable baking dish. Dollop on the cheese mixture and top with the remaining pasta. Add the rest of the mozzarella cheese then cover with foil.

Step 8

Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until hot and bubbling. Remove the foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown on top.

Step 9

Remove from the oven, garnish with basil (optional) and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.