Baked Ziti Pizza

Ingredients

THE DOUGH:

1 cup warm water

1 packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 TBSP plus 1 tsp olive oil

THE TOPPINGS

8 ounces ziti or penne pasta

1 TBSP olive oil

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

14-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 tsp dried oregano

salt & pepper

6 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese

8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions

THE DOUGH:

1. In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer pour in the warm water then sprinkle in the yeast. Add the flour, salt, and 2 TBSP of the oil, mix until well combined and dough pulls away from sides of bowl.

2. Knead the dough 10 minutes by hand or about 5 minutes using a stand mixer with a dough hook.

3. Form the dough into a ball and place in a large bowl with the remaining 1 tsp of olive oil. Flip the dough ball around to cover in the oil then loosely cover the dough and put in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour.

THE TOPPINGS & ASSEMBLY

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Lightly oil a large 16-inch pizza pan or a baking sheet and set aside.

2. Bring a pot of water and 1/4 tsp salt to a boil and cook your pasta a minute shy of al dente. Drain the pasta and set aside.

3. Heat the 1 TBSP of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, tomatoes, oregano, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper. Bring to a slight boil then reduce heat to low. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.

4. Take the sauce off the heat. Stir the ricotta cheese and cooked pasta in with the sauce and set aside.

5. Punch down the dough to deflate then stretch it out to fit to the edges of your pizza pan. Spread the pasta mixture evenly on top of the dough then sprinkle the shredded mozzarella on top.

6. Bake in the preheated oven for 14 to 16 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted and bubbly.