So what, no fukin' Ziti now?

So, this Ziti, right? Been on my mind since watchin' Tony and the crew. But it always looked like a whole production, a real siege, ya know? So I'd shrug it off, find somethin' easier. But I was gettin' soft, lazy with the cooking. Needed to put some work in for Saturday night, show some respect for the meal. So, I finally stepped up. Even made a trip down to the Italian joint, the real deal, ya hear? Got my hands on proper San Marzanos, none of that fake stuff, and some good Italian ricotta and buffalo mozz. Capisce?

Then, wouldn't ya know it, hottest friggin' day of the year over here in Amsterdam. Meant the stuff hadda sit longer, cool down slow. Made ya want it more, yeah? And lemme tell ya, it delivered. Cheesy? Fuggedaboutit. Creamy? Yeah, even though I forgot the cream like a stunad. And still hotter than a pistol. Maybe I sound like some kinda wiseguy gourmet, but those San Marzanos? They bring the flavor, make no mistake. That rich cheese and tomato tang, perfectly balanced, like a good sit-down.

And the funny thing? Wasn't even that hard. It's a pasta bake, bada bing, bada boom. A good pasta bake, yeah, real satisfying. Don't get me wrong, I got respect for a good pasta bake, solid grub for any night. But let's be honest, it ain't gonna rock your socks off like some other dishes, know what I mean? It's top-tier for a Tuesday, not exactly gonna make headlines. Still, good stuff.

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I followed Kenji-Lopez's recipe for this which had a few interesting learnings:

Soaking the pasta in hot water for 30 minutes is perfectly sufficient when you are going to bake it later. This is nice because the pasta doesn't get overcooked and you don't even need to 'cook' it.

Stacking up all the basil leaves with the smallest on the bottom allows you to roll them all up neatly, making it easy-peasy to chiffonade.