Get ready to fall in love with your new favorite comfort food! This isn’t just any baked ziti; it’s a decadent, dreamy, and ridiculously creamy four-cheese masterpiece. We’re talking a velvety sauce loaded with tangy Gorgonzola, nutty Parmesan, and melty fontina, all balanced by the smoky sweetness of fire-roasted tomatoes. It’s the perfect cozy meal for a chilly evening, a guaranteed hit with dinner guests (they won’t even miss the meat!), and pure, unadulterated pasta perfection in a dish.
Ingredients
• 12 ounces / 340g dried cut ziti or penne pasta
• 1 14.5-ounce / 411g can fire-roasted crushed or diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 large onion, chopped, about 1 cup
• 12 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons / 30mL olive oil
• 1/2 cup / 120mL dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio
• 2 cups / 480mL heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup / 4 ounces / 113g shredded Parmesan cheese
• 3/4 cup / 3 ounces / 85g crumbled Gorgonzola or other blue cheese
• 1/2 cup / 2 ounces / 56g shredded fontina cheese
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, snipped, for garnish
Instructions
1. Prep Your Pasta and Pan: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain well and transfer it to an ungreased 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Gently stir in the undrained fire-roasted tomatoes.
2. Build the Flavor Base: While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic, and sauté until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Deglaze and Reduce: Carefully pour the white wine into the saucepan. Increase the heat slightly and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until the wine has reduced by about half.
4. Create the Cream Sauce: Stir in the heavy cream and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle, steady boil. Cook, uncovered, for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce has thickened slightly and can coat the back of a spoon.
5. Melt the Cheeses: Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the Parmesan, Gorgonzola, and fontina cheeses, along with the salt and pepper. Continue stirring until the cheeses are fully melted and the sauce is smooth and luscious.
6. Combine and Bake: Pour the glorious cheese sauce over the pasta and tomatoes in the baking dish. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is hot and bubbly throughout. Carefully remove from the oven, stir everything together to ensure every piece of pasta is coated in sauce, and garnish with fresh parsley, if using. Serve hot!
Nutritional Information
• Per Serving (approximate)
• Calories: 748
• Total Fat: 47 g
• Saturated Fat: 27 g
• Cholesterol: 145 mg
• Sodium: 1,088 mg
• Carbohydrates: 55 g
• Fiber: 3 g
• Protein: 23 g
Pro Tips
• Pro-Tips for the Perfect Baked Ziti
• For a golden, bubbly top, remove the foil for the last 5-10 minutes of baking. For extra color, place it under the broiler for 1-2 minutes, watching carefully to prevent burning.
• This dish is a fantastic make-ahead meal. Assemble the entire dish without baking, let it cool completely, cover tightly, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Add 10-15 minutes to the covered baking time when you’re ready to cook.
• Feel free to add more veggies! A few handfuls of fresh spinach stirred into the cheese sauce at the end, or sautéed mushrooms added with the onions, would be delicious additions.
• Don’t overcook your pasta initially. Cook it 1-2 minutes less than the package directions for al dente. It will continue to cook in the oven and absorb the sauce, preventing it from becoming mushy.
