Three-Cheese Baked Ziti with Lamb Ragu & Seasonal Veggies

When it comes to reading The Wall Street Journal, The Kitchen Company co-owner/designer Gail Bolling flips right to the lifestyle section, where she finds some of her favorite food and drink recipes. Recently she came across this recipe for baked ziti with lamb ragu from chef Josef Centeno, chef/owner of Bäco Mercat & Bar Amá in Los Angeles. It is even more simple, delicious and quick to cook than you can imagine. Pasta, lamb, veggies, three kinds of cheese and plenty of spice make this dish a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

Ingredients

• Salt
• 1 pound dried ziti
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound ground lamb
• ½ pound ground beef
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 small bulb fennel, diced
• 1 (14 oz) can crushed tomatoes, roughly chopped with juice
• 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar
• ¾ cup feta, crumbled
• ¾ cup mozzarella, coarsely grated
• ½ cup Parmesan, grated (plus extra for topping)
• 5 basil leaves, thinly sliced
• 15 mint leaves, thinly sliced

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add ziti and cook until just al dente. Strain pasta, reserving 1 cup cooking water. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, stir in lamb, beef, onions, garlic, carrots, celery and fennel, and sauté until meat is cooked through about 7 minutes. Pour off all accumulated fat and set the pot back over medium heat. Stir in tomatoes, chili flakes, oregano, cumin, and cinnamon. Season with salt to taste. Simmer until vegetables soften, about 20 minutes, adding splashes of hot water if dry. Stir in vinegar and simmer 5 minutes more. Preheat broiler. Add cooked pasta and reserved cooking water to the pot with ragù, stirring until evenly distributed. Turn off heat. In a small bowl, toss together feta, mozzarella, and Parmesan. Stir ¾ mixed cheeses and ½ mint and basil into pasta. Transfer everything to a large casserole dish. Top with remaining mixed cheeses and grate extra Parmesan over top to lightly cover. Slide casserole under the broiler and cook until browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Garnish with remaining basil and mint and serve bubbling hot.

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