Pasta al Forno

Ingredients:
Sauce:
4 tablespoons of olive oil
4 tablespoons minced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, diced fine
2 celery stalks, diced fine
1 pound ground beef
salt & pepper
red pepper flakes
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
2 14 ounce cans chopped tomatoes
Pasta:
1 pound rigatoni or ziti pasta
12 ounces mozzarella or fontina cheese, diced
3 ounces Parmesan, freshly grated


COOK the vegetables in oil until they are softened. Add the ground beef and cook until browned. Remove any excess oil. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and parsley and simmer for 30 minutes until thickened.
COOK the pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta, and add to the sauce, mixing well. Fold in the diced cheese, and place in an ovenproof dish large enough to hold the pasta mixture. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese, and bake in a preheated 400F. oven until bubbly. Serve immediately.

Baked Pasta with Fontina

4 servings

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced

1 medium onion, diced

1 eggplant, peeled and diced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/4 cup chicken broth

6 ounces penne pasta

1 tomato, chopped

1 cup fontina, grated

HEAT the oil in a heavy pan. Add the garlic and onion. Cook for 4 minutes over medium heat. ADD the eggplant and cook until soft. Add the tomato paste and broth. Simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside.

COOK pasta until tender about 7 to 10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.

ADD the pasta to a casserole dish. Cover with the eggplant & onion sauce. Top with the chopped tomato and Fontina. Cover. Bake at 375F for 15 minutes.

Piemontese-style Angel Hair

10 minutes to prepare
20 minutes to cook

4-6 servings

Ingredients
2 cups fresh parsley
3/4 cup toasted walnuts
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
3 garlic cloves
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
2 red bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
1 orange bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
2 leeks, thinly sliced crosswise
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 box (16 ounces) Angel Hair
8 ounces Fontina cheese, cut into small cubes

MIX parsley, walnuts, thyme and garlic cloves in the bowl of a food processor and blend until finely chopped. Gradually add 1/2 cup of oil, processing until well blended. Season the pesto with salt and pepper to taste.
HEAT the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat.
ADD the bell peppers, leeks, and the finely chopped garlic. Sauté until the bell peppers are crisp-tender, about 15 minutes.
BRING a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the angel hair pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often to prevent the pasta from sticking together, about 4 minutes. Drain, reserving 2 cups of cooking liquid.
TOSS the pasta with the pesto, bell pepper mixture, and cheese in a large bowl to combine, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten.
SEASON the pasta to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

Baked Gemelli with Cauliflower and Fontina

10 minutes to prepare
30 minutes to cook

4-6 servings

Ingredients
1 medium cauliflower
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups milk
2 cups Fontina cheese, diced
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 box (16 ounces) Gemelli

PREHEAT oven to 375.
CUT cauliflower into bite size florets.
BOIL the cauliflower 3 minutes or until tender.
MELT butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until golden.
ADD cauliflower and milk. Simmer for 3 minutes.
WHISK cheese and egg yolks into sauce. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly. Season with salt and black pepper.
COOK pasta two minutes less then the recommended cooking time. Drain and add pasta to sauce. Mix well.
PLACE in a baking dish and bake for 15 minutes.