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).
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.