Karen’s Last Ziti | The Sopranos-Style Baked Ziti Recipe

Karen's Last Ziti | The Sopranos-Style Baked Ziti Recipe

In this episode, we cook a ziti so good it could end a mob war. Inspired by The Sopranos and Karen’s infamous “last ziti,” we put our own spin on this Italian-American classic—with deeper flavors, clever twists, and, of course, lots of love (and cheese).
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

Meat Sauce

  • 300 g bacon or cubed guanciale
  • 1 large white onion diced
  • 1 tsp bourbon black pepper
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds or a splash of ouzo
  • 3 cloves garlic crushed
  • 4 tbsp tomato paste
  • A splash of Marsala wine
  • 250 ml homemade beef stock plus extra as needed
  • 1.5 kg minced beef preferably 80/20 fat ratio
  • 5 cans 400g each crushed tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp fresh rosemary finely chopped
  • Salt to taste

Pasta & Cheese

  • 1 kg rigatoni pasta
  • Reserved pasta water
  • 500 g mozzarella freshly grated
  • 300 g Pecorino Romano grated
  • 200 g Parmigiano Reggiano grated
  • 500 g Greek mizithra or mascarpone
  • 2 tbsp fresh basil finely chopped

For Assembly

  • Olive oil or butter for greasing the baking dish
  • Fresh small-leaf basil for garnish

Instructions
 

Prepare the Bacon

  • Place the bacon in a cold pan.
  • Cook on low-medium heat to render the fat and crisp the bacon.
  • Remove bacon, placing it on paper towels to crisp further.

Make the Sauce Base

  • In the bacon fat, sauté the diced onion until soft.
  • Add bourbon black pepper and fennel seeds; stir for a few seconds.
  • Add crushed garlic, sauté for 20 seconds.
  • Stir in tomato paste, cooking until it darkens slightly.
  • Deglaze with a splash of Marsala wine.
  • Add 250 ml beef stock, simmer for 5 minutes to reduce.
  • Set this mixture aside.

Cook the Meat

  • In the same pot, heat some vegetable oil.
  • Add minced beef, spread evenly, and brown without stirring initially.
  • Flip to brown the other side, then break up the meat.
  • Cook until all moisture evaporates and meat is browned.
  • Add crushed tomatoes, the reserved tomato paste mixture, and rosemary.
  • Simmer for 20–30 minutes, adjusting salt as needed.

Prepare Pasta & Cheese

  • Cook rigatoni in salted water, 1–2 minutes less than package instructions.
  • Reserve some pasta water.
  • Mix mizithra with chopped basil for a fresh cheese layer.

Assemble the Dish

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  • Grease a baking dish.
  • Combine pasta with meat sauce and some reserved pasta water.
  • Layer half the pasta mixture, dollops of mizithra, and half the grated cheese mixture.
  • Repeat with remaining pasta, mizithra, and cheese.

Bake

  • Bake on the middle rack for approximately 30 minutes, until cheese is golden.

Serve

  • Let rest for 20–30 minutes before slicing.
  • Garnish with fresh small-leaf basil.

Video

Keyword BBQ, cooking, foodie, greece, recipe
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