Ziti al Forno

Scott's favorite (and a lot of my family's actually) thing to get at Biaggi's is Ziti Al Forno. It is delicious, and at Biaggi's has a crazy assortment of crab & lobster meat, proscuitto, shrimp and God knows what else! This recipe was a step toward achieving that... at least a little! In true Jamie style, it had some healthy substitutions so as not to overdo it :)

Ziti al Forno

1 lb ziti rigate (I used whole wheat noodles)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 15-oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 c heavy cream (the non heart attack inducing substitution: skim milk.)
2 pinches ground cinnamon
salt & pepper
3 oz proscuitto (one thick slice from deli, chopped)
1/4 to 1/3 c grated Parm cheese

Directions:
Cook ziti as per directions on box and set aside.
Preheat oven to 500 (!!) degrees.
Add olive oil to medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook 3-5 min.
Stir in tomatoes and bring to a bubble.
Add cream/milk and season sauce with cinnamon, salt, and pepper.
Add chopped proscuitto to sauce and stir with cooked pasta to combine.
Coat 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray or melted butter. Stir sauce and noodles together. Top with Parm cheese.
Place in the oven for 10 min, covered.

*Can I just say every time I use my food processor I love it more and more!? This was a big one for the old FP. First off, the onion and garlic are chopped so finely you could (but why would you?) drink it through a straw. It's awesome for yummy sauce where you don't have to "chew" onions. And secondly, I got a block of Parmesan cheese rather than the pre-shredded stuff and shred it with the food processor attachment. It is so much tastier this way...