Spring-Summer Ziti

A yummy recipe from Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book. She got tired of living half of the year without her ziti, so came up with ziti lovely in flavor! A light tomato sauce with tarragon and basil surrounds the ziti at the bottom and on the top of the serving dish. The pasta is tossed with asparagus tips, sweet ricotta, tender peas and Parmigiano. She says to keep your tissues handy, this one might bring you to tears. :)

• Ready In: 47 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3  large shallots, thinly sliced 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 (28 ounce) can plum tomatoes
•  salt and pepper
• 4  sprigs tarragon, leaves removed, chopped (or 1/2 tsp. dried)
• 1⁄2 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced (10 leaves)
• 1  lb ziti pasta, rigate (with lines)
• 1  lb  thin asparagus, trimmed, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 1  cup  frozen peas
• 1  cup ricotta cheese
• 1  cup  grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
• 1  teaspoon lemon zest
• 1⁄2 lb fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400*F.
2. Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil for pasta.
3. While water is coming to a boil, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.Saute the shallots and garlic for 3-5 minutes, then stir in tomatoes and crush them with a wooden spoon or potato masher. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 5 more mintes, then stir in the tarragon and basil and remove from the heat.
4. While the sauce is simmering, salt the boiling water and cook the pasta to just under al dente-a nice bite left to it. After the pasta has been cooking for 5 minutes, add the asparagus and frozen peas to the pot for a minute or two before draining. Drain the pasta and veggies.
5. Add the ricotta, half the Parmigiano cheese, and the lemon zest to the hot pasta pot. return the hot pasta to the pot and stir to coat evenly.
6. Pour half the tomato sauce into a large baking dish. Add all of the ziti and top with the remaining Parmigiano. Bake until the top is brown and bubbly, about 12 minutes. Enjoy!