Their story began in Chicago, Illinois in November of ’91 when Maggiano’s Little Italy opened the doors of its first location on the corners of Clark Street and Grand Avenue. The dishes were simple, authentic classics, many of them coaxed out of Italian grandmothers, mothers, and aunts whose ideas of a recipe were a pinch of this and a sprinkle of that. What happened next, as they say, is history.
The restaurant was successful from the very beginning. Eager diners sometimes waited hours to celebrate family-style over Italian–American cuisine, reminiscent of a Sunday night visit to their grandmother’s house -- or as they say in Italy, nonna’s casa! These delicious dishes paired with great service, generous portions and a warm atmosphere kept our guests and their families coming back for more.
Their Baked Ziti is the most requested of all their recipes. And you can make this in your own kitchen. I love doing this, but then I'm a cook. I love the process from the prep to the finished product and for me, it's a joy, being in the kitchen and I hope that by sharing these wonderful recipes it will be a joy for you as well. It's not that difficult to make a wonderful meal, just break it down into steps, turn on some amazing music and cook!
16 oz ziti pasta
20 oz canned or fresh marinara sauce - they prefer Rao's
2 oz olive oil
1 oz butter
1 lb ground Italian sausage
1 oz chopped basil
2 Tbsp minced garlic
8 oz shredded Mozzarella
1 cup white wine
3 Tbsp grated Parmesan
12 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 basil sprig
Steps
Place ziti Pasta in boiling water and cook as stated on the back of the packaging or until your desired al dente. Place the Olive Oil into a heated sauté pan over medium-high heat and cook the Italian sausage.
Once the sausage is almost cooked, add the garlic and continue cooking for approximately 30 seconds. Add the white wine and bring to a simmer, reducing the wine until almost completely dry.
Lower the heat to medium, and add the diced tomatoes, marinara sauce, butter and chopped basil. Remove from the heat, and add the pasta and half of the Mozzarella. Then toss to blend.
Transfer to the baking dish and top with the remaining Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
Place underneath a broiler or in a convection oven for approximately 2-3 minutes until cheese is bubbly and golden brown. Garnish with basil sprig and serve immediately.
If pretty Italian stoneware is your thing - here's a link to this two piece set. And I'm the queen of justification, you can make this at home, buy this pretty stoneware set that you will use for years and it won't cost you as much as one meal in an Italian restaurant.
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