Lemon Baked Ziti

 

I bought lemons, and when I say I bought lemons, I mean I REALLY bought lemons. What can I tell you? They were on sale, I had a hankering, one thing led to another, and I came home with about 5 pounds of them. Fortunately there are all kinds of things I can use them for from savory to sweet, salad dressing to beverages, even in soup. Lemons are quite versatile.

 The first thing I decided to do was to satisfy my curiosity by making a Giada DeLaurentis recipe. Her Lemon Baked Ziti has long intrigued me, so I thought I would give it a try.  It is excellent! I cut the recipe in half, and I used bacon instead of pancetta. When I make it next time, and there will be a next time, I am only going to use seven ounces of pasta rather than eight, because I would have liked this to have been a tiny bit saucier. Definitely drizzle the topping with the pancetta cooking juices in place of the olive oil. Give it a try. It is wonderful!

Lemon Baked Ziti

From Giada DeLaurentis

 Pasta:

Butter, for greasing the baking dish

Salt

1 lb. ziti pasta

1 T. extra-virgin olive oil

12-oz. pancetta, sliced into ¼” thick slices

 Sauce:

½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

½ c. all-purpose flour

3½ c. whole milk, room temperature

Zesty of 2 large lemons 

¾ c. grated Parmesan

1 t. kosher salt

¼ t. freshly ground black pepper

1 c. chopped fresh basil

2 T. chopped fresh thyme

¼ c. fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)

2 c. shredded mozzarella

Topping:

2/3 c. plain breadcrumbs*

1/3 c. grated Parmesan

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

For the pasta: Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter a 13” x 9” x 2” baking dish.

 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes.

 In a large nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook until brown and crispy, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta and drain on paper towels.

 For the sauce: In a 2-quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Add the lemon zest. Simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the Parmesan, salt and pepper.

 In a large bowl, combine the cheese sauce, cooked pancetta, pasta, basil and thyme. Toss until the ingredients are coated. Stir in the lemon juice. Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the mozzarella.

For the topping: In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and Parmesan.

 Sprinkle the topping over the pasta mixture. Drizzle the top with olive oil and bake until the top is golden brown, 25 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and serve.

*Use panko here, and everywhere else where plain breadcrumbs are called for. Trust me on this.

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