Ziti

From WOI Encyclopedia Italia

Ziti are macaroni tubes sized smaller than rigatoni but larger than mezzani. The addition of the word Rigati (eg ziti rigati) denotes lines or ridges on the pasta's surface.

Ziti receives its name from the Italian language, where it means "bridegrooms". Although the common form of ziti is about 2 inches in length, the name makes more sense when considering the original, classic form of ziti - over 18 inches long.

A quick and easy way for college students, or anyone on the go, to make baked ziti casserole is as follows:

1 bottle tomato sauce, 1 medium tub of ricotta cheese, desired amount of mozzarella cheese as topping, 1 pound worth of ziti (usually one box), and desired amount of oregano

Boil the pasta in a pot. As this is being cooked, mix ricotta cheese, oregano, and tomato sauce until a smooth consistency and a creamy-pink color appears. Once the ricotta cheese-tomato sauce combination is added, mix in the pound of ziti. Transfer the entire mixture to the casserole dish, and top with a desired amount of mozzarella.

After putting the casserole dish into the oven, bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees farenheit.