Baked Ziti with Ricotta and Ham

Ingredients

Buy

• 1 carrot , diced
• 1 celery rib, diced
• 1/2 onion , diced
• 8 oz ham , chopped into small cubes
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 1/4 cup tomato sauce
• 1/2 lb, ziti
• 8 oz, ricotta
• 1 cup grated pecorino romano

On Hand

• 2 tbsp, olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic , diced
• salt and pepper

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375. Get started to sautéing the carrot , celery , and onion in a large saucepan over medium heat with the olive oil, with a sprinkle of salt to sweat the veggies. When the veggies have gotten very soft and the onion has gotten slightly golden, add in the garlic and cook for a minute more until the garlic is fragrant. Then add in the ham and cook until the fat starts to render (about two minutes). You'll want the ham to caramelize slightly, but not get too hard. Add in the wine and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let the wine reduce by half.
• Add in the tomato sauce , bring everything to a boil again, and then let cook for 15 minutes, uncovered, over low heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste - it should be bold and rich. While the sauce is simmering, cook your ziti to two minutes shy of the package directions. The ziti will finish cooking in the oven, so you want it very firm.
• Drain and rinse the ziti, reserving a ladleful of the pasta water, and then add it to the saucepan with the tomato ham mixture. Throw in your ricotta , and gently ladle the pasta water over the ricotta to start it melting. Stir it into the pasta and the sauce and stir everything together until combined. The sauce will now be pink and creamy.
• Pour out the ziti, ricotta , and ham into a baking dish, and use a spoon to flatten it down across the top. Sprinkle the pecorino romano over the top until it is completely covered. Then put the ziti dish into the oven and bake for 15 - 20 minutes, until a nice crispy brown top has formed.
• Remove the baking dish from the oven and let rest for 5 - 10 minutes, until the bubbling has stopped and the pecorino romano has set slightly. Use a spatula to cut out squares of the ziti and serve, garnished with extra pecorino if desired