Boteroesque Babe
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When I watch The Sopranos, the food scenes make me quite willing to bite through the neck of anybody gets between me and the nearest meatball sub. Hell, even the bathtub decapitation scenes have that effect on me. I've now learned never to watch it without a full Italian meal at the ready. For the past two season openers, I've been invited to viewing parties where the grub was taken care of, but this year nobody luzz me, so I'm thinking about what I'll make for myself.
BB's Baked Fuckin' Ziti
(I generally do this by feel, so please don't have me whacked if my amounts or instructions aren't quite right.)
1 lb. ziti
1 lb. sweet Italian sausage, loose
2 - 4 cloves garlic
2 roasted red peppers, cut up
1 can diced tomatoes
50 - 60 oz. of your favorite tomato-based pasta sauce (I load mine up with red wine, oregano, fresh basil, and cracked red pepper)
olive oil
1 cup Romano, grated
8 oz. mozzarella, shredded
1 cup ricotta
Peel and mince the garlic and brown lightly in olive oil. Add Italian sausage and cook until no longer pink, breaking it up during browning (if it's in casing, remove it first). Drain browned sausage fully, partially, or not at all, depending on how close to the edge you like to live (and how lean the sausage was). Combine sausage, sauce, Romano, most of the mozz, and the cooked ziti (prepared al dente, according to package instructions, and I toss it with a little olive oil as soon as it's drained). Spoon half of the ziti mixture into a 9x13 baking dish / lasagne pan. (You've looked ahead and are preheating your oven to 350, right?) Spread ricotta atop it, then top that with the remaining pasta mixture, then the remaining mozzarella.
Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, then uncovered for 15. Serve with a Spring greens salad, buttery garlic bread, and red wine. Best if you're wearing your eatin' pants.
So whuh, I gotta ast youse twice? What'll you be eating during this Sunday night's Sopranos?
BB's Baked Fuckin' Ziti
(I generally do this by feel, so please don't have me whacked if my amounts or instructions aren't quite right.)
1 lb. ziti
1 lb. sweet Italian sausage, loose
2 - 4 cloves garlic
2 roasted red peppers, cut up
1 can diced tomatoes
50 - 60 oz. of your favorite tomato-based pasta sauce (I load mine up with red wine, oregano, fresh basil, and cracked red pepper)
olive oil
1 cup Romano, grated
8 oz. mozzarella, shredded
1 cup ricotta
Peel and mince the garlic and brown lightly in olive oil. Add Italian sausage and cook until no longer pink, breaking it up during browning (if it's in casing, remove it first). Drain browned sausage fully, partially, or not at all, depending on how close to the edge you like to live (and how lean the sausage was). Combine sausage, sauce, Romano, most of the mozz, and the cooked ziti (prepared al dente, according to package instructions, and I toss it with a little olive oil as soon as it's drained). Spoon half of the ziti mixture into a 9x13 baking dish / lasagne pan. (You've looked ahead and are preheating your oven to 350, right?) Spread ricotta atop it, then top that with the remaining pasta mixture, then the remaining mozzarella.
Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, then uncovered for 15. Serve with a Spring greens salad, buttery garlic bread, and red wine. Best if you're wearing your eatin' pants.
So whuh, I gotta ast youse twice? What'll you be eating during this Sunday night's Sopranos?
