Fried Ziti

[MadMonk]

This is a recipe from my Childhood Pizzeria. "Uncle Jim"
Nothing fancy, but different enough from other pizzerias 50 years ago.
It was very popular.
Nothing cosmic in the qtys, try it and adjust it next time. (I use less salt because my palate is very sensitive to it)

“Fried Ziti”

Use a Heavy Duty sauté Pan that can be transferred into the oven

1LB Ziti (you can use less, depending on how big a pan you have)
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp. coarse pepper
1/2 cup Marinara sauce (you can use more sauce to taste. I like it like this)
1 Tbsp. butter
4 whole scallions, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 cup mozzarella, grated
8 Fresh Basil Leaves Chopped
½ Cup provolone grated
4 Tbsp Pecorino Romano Cheese

Cook Ziti drain and refrigerate to chill. Transfer ziti, if used, to a board and chop coarsely.
In a large skillet, heat butter and olive oil, add scallions and garlic, saute briefly.
Add chopped ziti, basil and cook, stirring and shaking the pan back and forth, until pasta is golden.
Stir in salt, pepper, oregano and sauce, romano, and provolone mixing well. (You can alternately put the provolone on top. I like it mixed in)
Top with grated mozzarella evenly over the top.
Bake in a preheated oven 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes to melt cheese and brown, or run under broiler (watching carefully) for about 5 minutes. Serve at once.

You can also, if you desire, add any of the following while you are sautéing the scallions:
Pepperoni
Mushrooms
Sausage (Cooked and Sliced)
Meatballs (Cooked and Sliced)
Sundried Tomatoes

 

[Thumper68]

Thank you for sharing that. It sounds good! I will give it a try.

 

[punk_lawyer]

Oh dear...

 

[MadMonk]

Oh dear...

 

[MadMonk]

Revisiting this. I ran across a Video of Jim's Grandson who is keeping the flame burning. He has tweaked the recipe, and it looks great. Some small differences, but possibly friendlier to today's palates, which seem to like more intense flavors:

Fried Ziti

Ingredients:
1 lb. Ziti Cooked
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp. coarse black pepper
1-cup Marinara sauce, your favorite
2 Tbsp. butter
4 whole scallions, chopped
1 Small Yellow Onion, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 cup mozzarella, grated (Use whole Mozzarella not the pre shredded in a bag)
8 Fresh Basil Leaves, Chopped
1/2 Cup provolone, grated
5 Tbsp. Asiago Cheese (Freshly Grated)
6 Leaves Fresh Basil chopped
1 Tbsp. Fresh Italian Parsley, chopped

Cook Ziti al dente, drain and refrigerate to chill (can be done a day ahead of time)
Use Heavy Duty sauté pan that can be transferred into the oven

1. Transfer ziti to a cutting board & chop coarsely.
2. In a large skillet, heat butter & olive oil, add scallions, onions & garlic, sauté briefly 1 minute.
3. Add chopped ziti and sauté until the pasta starts to brown up & caramelize be sure to stir and shake the pan or use a spoon to move the ziti around so you don’t burn the pasta; you’ll also get some great color throughout.
4. Once you have a nice brown color on the Ziti, add salt, pepper, oregano & fresh herbs, then add the sauce, mixing &
Sautéing for another minute or so.
5. Next, add a couple of tablespoons of asiago cheese and fold in.
6. Evenly top the whole pan with the grated mozzarella & provolone, along with the remaining asiago cheese.

Bake in a preheated oven 400 degrees; cook pasta
For 20-30 minutes until brown and a bit crisp on the sides. Serve with some garlic bread and enjoy!

 

[Scap]

That sounds absolutely delicious!!!!