Baked Ziti With Two Mozzarellas and Parmesan Cream Sauce Recipe

Name: Baked Ziti With Two Mozzarellas and Parmesan Cream Sauce Recipe
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds dried ziti pasta; 4 cups tomato sauce, such as The Best Slow-Cooked Red Sauce , Rich and Hearty One-Hour Red Sauce , or The Best Fresh Tomato Sauce , divided; 2 cups diced low-moisture mozzarella (about 10 ounces); 2 cups diced fresh mozzarella (about 10 ounces), divided; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 2 cups heavy cream; 2 ounces grated Parmiggiano-Reggiano cheese (about 1 cup); Torn fresh basil leaves, for serving

This is, in some ways, a classic meatless baked ziti, loaded with pools of cheese and rich tomato sauce. But it gets rid of the one thing that can often make baked ziti less than great: grainy ricotta cheese. Instead, we drizzle it with an over-the-top Parmesan cream. Trust us, you won't miss the ricotta.

Why this recipe works:

Omitting ricotta cheese, which is often unpleasantly grainy, and replacing it with an indulgently cheesy cream sauce guarantees that this ziti will be full of flavor without any bad textures.
Two mozzarellas—low-moisture and fresh—deliver both the best melting properties and the best fresh milky flavor.
The Parmesan cream sauce is quick and easy to prepare, and can be made while the ziti bakes.

The Key to Great Baked Ziti: Drop the Ricotta (and Add Parmesan Cream Instead)