Baked Ziti

Steps

1. Make the sauce. Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion with a pinch of fine salt and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring, until soft and golden. Add the sliced garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes and stir for 1 minute until fragrant, without letting the garlic brown.
2. Add the tomato paste and mash it into the oil for 2 minutes: it should go from bright red to brick red and stick lightly to the bottom. Pour in the passata, then add the sugar, 1 teaspoon of fine salt, half the black pepper and half the basil, stems and all. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes partly covered, stirring now and then, until the sauce thickens and oil beads on the surface. Fish out the basil stems.
3. While the sauce simmers, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and oil a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) baking dish with the last tablespoon of olive oil. Bring 5 liters (5 quarts) of water to a boil with the coarse salt.
4. Drop the ziti into the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes less than the package time: they should still be firm at the center. Drain without rinsing.
5. Make the ricotta cream. In a bowl, mix the ricotta, egg, chopped parsley, half the grated hard cheese, 1/2 teaspoon of fine salt and the rest of the black pepper until smooth.
6. Shred or finely dice the mozzarella. In the skillet, off the heat, toss the drained pasta with 2/3 of the sauce and 150 g (5 oz) of the mozzarella until every tube is well coated.
7. Assemble the baked ziti. Spread half the pasta in the dish. Dollop the ricotta cream in large spoonfuls over the whole surface and roughly smooth it out. Cover with the rest of the pasta, spoon over the remaining sauce, then scatter the remaining 250 g (9 oz) of mozzarella and the rest of the hard cheese on top.
8. Cover the dish with foil, tented slightly so it doesn't touch the cheese and stick. Bake for 25 minutes at 375°F (190°C). Remove the foil and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the sauce bubbles at the edges and the mozzarella is melted and spotted brown. For more crust, slide it under the broiler for 2 minutes, watching closely.
9. Let the baked ziti rest for 10 minutes out of the oven before cutting: the sauce settles back in and the portions hold together. Scatter the rest of the basil, torn, over the top and serve piping hot.