• 1/2 lb. ziti
• 2 Tbs. cooking oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 C. canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
• 1 C. ricotta cheese
• 1 1/2 C. mozzarella cheese, grated
• 1/3 C. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 C. pesto sauce, store-bought or homemade

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil an 8x8-inch baking dish. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta for 7 minutes. It will be partially cooked. Drain. Rinse with cold water and drain again thoroughly. In a medium saucepan, heat 1 1/2 Tbs. of the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, salt, and bay leaf.Bring to a simmer over moderate heat and cook until very thick, about 10 minutes. Stir in 1/4 tsp. of the pepper. Remove the bay leaf. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, 1 C. of the mozzarella, about half the Parmesan, the pesto, and the remaining ¼ tsp. pepper. Put half of the cooked pasta into the prepared baking dish and top with about a third of the tomato sauce. Spread the ricotta mixture on the sauce in an even layer. Cover with the remaining pasta and then the remaining sauce. Top with the remaining ½ C. mozzarella and the remaining parmesan. Drizzle with the remaining ½ Tbs. oil. Bake until bubbling, about 30 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes before cutting.