1 lb cooked ziti or penne ( cook for half the reccomended time and set aside).
4 cups home made or store bought marinara sauce
1 lb fresh rikotta cheese
1 cup freshly sliced Fontina cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
15 to 20 fresh basil leaves roughly torn
pinch red pepper flakes
Preheat oven to 350*F . Set aside a 13 by 11 baking dish.
Toss the cooked pasta with 1 cup of sauce . Stir in red pepper flakes ( optional ) and fresh basil. Set aside.
Pour in 1 cup of sauce in the base of the baking dish , spread it out to cover the entire base of the dish . Pour in and spread the sauced pasta .
Top the pasta with spoonfuls of rikotta , make sure to cover the pasta evenly , top with more basil .
Top the pasta and basil with 1 cup of marinara sauce , spread it to cover the pasta well . Sprinkle on 1/2 the Parmigiano cheese and half the fontina cheese .Cover with the final cup of sauce and the rest of the cheese . This may seem excessive sauce but , during baking , as the pasta continues to cook , the dish will dry as it cooks without adequate liquid .
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes , until the cheese is bubbling and lightly browned . Serve
