Baked ziti is an ideal pasta dish to make ahead hence perfect for entertaining. You prepare everything, place it in a casserole dish and keep it ready for baking. Just before you’re ready to eat pop it in the oven and serve hot out of the oven.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Cook the pasta al dente** in salted water cording to the package instructions but a minute or so less.(The pasta will finish cooking in the oven).
In a large sauce pan, warm a little olive oil. Add the onions, eggplant, carrot, celery and garlic. Cook until soft and translucent. Add the ground meat and continue sautéing until the meat is browned.
Add the crushed tomato sauce, salt if needed, Italian seasoning, chili flakes, crushed fennel seeds, stir well until combined.
Cook for 6-8 minutes so all the veggies and meat is cooked and the sauce looks amazing.
Drain the pasta well. Add the pasta and half the shredded mozzarella cheese into the pot with the sauce. Stir to combine well evenly.
Transfer the pasta+ sauce mixture to a 9*13 baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining fresh mozzarella on the top of the pasta.
Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for another 5 minutes until the cheese is lightly golden in places and bubbling.
Once clone, sprinkle with parm and serve garnished with basil and parm tableside.
