Slowing It Down!!!

Did you know that what makes us "cry" when we cut onions is actually the onion's defense against predators? Before the cells of the onion are broken or cut it is actually sweet.
I learned this fact reading "Cooked" by Michael Pollen. I am only about 30 percent through the book, but it is amazing! I love history, and he really goes into the history of food. Fun fact....the English looked down on the French for using sauces and such in their cooking. The reason? England was much more prosperous and had good grass for grazing year round. They had high quality meat that all you needed to do was throw it on the fire and it tasted good. The less "well to do" French didn't have that and had to make the most of the tough meat they had by using vegetables and liquids to increase the flavor. And now French cooking is something to be sought after! How fun is that!! He also explains that science behind food, such as the onion explaining that not only to the onions make the meat taste good, they also helped protect the people from the bacteria that grows on meat.
He also talks about the patience that is takes to cook, and how in our world today, cooking should be the thing that slows us down and brings us together. It was that thought that was in my head as I prepared ziti for dinner tonight.
Usually when I make ziti, I just take some tomato sauce, add some spices and such and put it with the pasta and ricotta. Today I slowed it down a bit. I took the time to make a "proper" sauce. I took the time to roast the garlic before I added it to the ricotta. Now I am a stay at home mom, so I was able to do this during my kids quiet time and now it is just waiting for me to pop it in the oven for dinner. I love make ahead recipes!!

Slow It Down Baked Ziti

1 box ziti noodles cooked according to the package
1 onion diced small
2 carrots diced small
1/2 cup mushrooms
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
3 cups red wine
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
8 oz ricotta cheese
1 head garlic roasted
zest of one lemon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 cups uncooked baby spinach
salt to taste
Mozzarella cheese for sprinkling

Roast your garlic by cutting a head in half, sprinkling it with salt and olive oil. Place uncovered in an over at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until the garlic is brown and juicy, set aside to cool. Once it is cool squeeze out of the skin and chop it up really small.

Drizzle olive oil in a saucepan. When the pan is hot add the onions, cook for about 5 minutes on med/low heat. Add the carrots and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the red wine, diced tomatoes and tomato sauce and pepper flakes, bring to a boil and then down to a simmer. You are going to want to slow cook it will it reduced by about a 1/3 or about 40 minutes.

While the sauce is reducing, add your lemon zell, nutmeg, salt, roasted garlic and baby spinach to the ricotta and fold together.

Once the sauce is reduced, let cool for about 15/20 minutes. Mix the noodles into the sauce and then fold in the ricotts. Place into a 13x9 and sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese.

When you are ready to bake it, bake it covered for 30 min at 350 degrees and then take the cover off and continue cooking for another 15 to brown the cheese.

Enjoy!