Señor Habanero and I had the pleasure of preparing dinner for our special houseguest K-’Zee several evenings ago.

Knowing that we needed to make a substantial quantity of food in a short amount of time, we resolved that the Señor would relive his bachelor days and cook up the dinner he often made for his previous roommates: a big, hearty pan of baked ziti. (I happily demoted myself to sous-chef.)

After fixing upon a simple but very well-reviewed baked ziti recipe, the Señor made only a couple changes:

First, as a part of our ongoing commitment to do our part in relieving the global food crisis, we substituted ground turkey for the standard ground beef.

Second, we altered the recipe’s prescribed layering order, which would’ve otherwise yielded a cheesey but sauceless bottom layer. (Layering, as the Señor reminded me, is of utmost importance in the art of ziti-baking. After all, who would want to eat ziti that didn’t have cheese, filling, and sauce mingled throughout? Thankfully, this art comes naturally to him.)

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Baked Ziti

1 lb dry ziti pasta
1 onion, chopped
1 lb lean ground turkey
2, 26-oz jars tomato sauce
6 oz provolone cheese, sliced
1½ cups sour cream
6 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.

In a large skillet, brown onion and ground turkey over medium heat. Add tomato sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.

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Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter a 9″x13″ baking dish, (or cover bottom with a thin layer of tomato sauce).

Layer as follows:

• half of the ziti
• half of the sauce mixture
  
• Provolone cheese
• sour cream
• remaining half of the ziti
• mozzarella cheese
• remaining sauce mixture.
  

Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted. Brown cheese under broiler, if desired.

The final product, with some zucchini sautéed at the last-minute. Dinner must include vegetables!

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The Señor and I had never heard of putting sour cream in baked ziti before, and were pleasantly surprised with the result. K-’Zee, who was discovered to be a real carb-lover, enjoyed a large portion that evening and raved about the ziti in the days following.

Here’s to you, K-’Zee! We hope you’re enjoying the long lazy days back home under the stars.