America's Test Kitchen Skillet Baked Ziti

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• salt & fresh ground pepper
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 3 cups water
• 12 ounces ziti pasta (3 3/4 cups)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaf, minced
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions

1. 1

   Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 475.

2. 2

   Combine oil, garlic, pepper flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in 12-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet and saute over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. (If your skillet is not ovensafe, transfer the pasta mixture into a shallow 2-quart casserole dish before sprinkling with the cheese and baking).

3. 3

   Add crushed tomatoes, water, ziti and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

4. 4

   Cover and cook, stirring often and adjusting heat as needed to maintain vigorous simmer, until ziti is almost tender, 15-18 minutes.

5. 5

   Stir in cream, Parmesan, and basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

6. 6

   Sprinkle mozzarella evenly over ziti. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until cheese has melted and browned, about 10 minutes. Serve.