Cavatappi with Tomatoes

When the weather gets cooler, I become a sucker for trying any baked pasta recipe I find. This one caught my eye in Cooking Light magazine because it seemed a bit different than the average mac and cheese or baked ziti. And, it is – it has a unique flavor with the roasted tomaotes, bacon and a hint of blue cheese.

A word of warning, to bake the tomatoes, you need 3 hours so I would recommend this as a Sunday night recipe.

CAVATAPPI WITH TOMATOES
6-8 Servings

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 pints grape tomatoes, halved
Cooking spray
2 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
1 pound cavatappi pasta
2 slices applewood-smoked bacon, finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped onion
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic (about 2 cloves)
4 cups fat-free milk, divided
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) finely shredded fontina cheese
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Preheat oven to 250°. Combine first 3 ingredients on a lightly sprayed jelly-roll pan. Bake at 250° for 3 hours. Preheat broiler.

Bring 6 quarts water to a boil. Add 2 teaspoons salt and pasta; cook 8 minutes or until al dente. Drain.

Cook bacon in a saucepan; remove. Cook onion in drippings 4 minutes. Add flour and garlic; cook 1 minute. Stir in 1 cup milk. Gradually add 3 cups milk; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; let stand 4 minutes. Stir in cheeses. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, bacon, tomatoes, and chives. Add pasta. Divide among 8 (10-ounce) lightly sprayed ramekins or one large glass baking dish. Combine panko and butter; sprinkle over pasta. Broil 5 minutes.

Pastitsio

Now I will admit, when I made pastitsio the other night, it was the first time I had even attempted it. It is a Greek dish – almost the Greek’s version of Italian lasagna. The bottom is a traditional pasta with tomato sauce (with some comfort spices like cinnamon) topped with a cream topping – either a custard or a cream sauce.

When I made it, one thought came to mind – why on earth hadn’t I made this before?! It is an amazing comfort dish that makes you feel all warm inside. To give you an indication as to how filling it is, the Greeks would traditionally eat pastitsio on Easter after a long period of fasting.

This version has lamb, but I have seen others with any type of meat. If you aren’t sure if you like lamb, this would be a great dish to test it out – it gives an earthy flavor that compliments the sauces perfectly!

This particular recipe is from my PBS station, The Everyday Food television series.

PASTITSIO
Serves 8

Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound penne, cooked and drained
2 pounds ground lamb
2 medium onions, diced
1/2 cup red wine
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
3 cups milk
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta and drain. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium heat, cook lamb, breaking apart pieces with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes. Add onions; cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Transfer to a colander, drain fat, and discard. Return lamb to pan; add wine. Cook over medium heat until almost all liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, cinnamon and 2 cups water; simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Make Parmesan cheese sauce while mixture is simmering. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; whisk in flour until incorporated, about 30 seconds. In a slow steady stream, whisk in milk until there are no lumps. Cook, whisking often, until mixture is thick and bubbly and coats the back of a wooden spoon, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in cayenne, if desired, and Parmesan.

Add pasta to lamb mixture, transfer to a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Pour sauce over the top, smoothing with the back of a spoon until level. Bake until browned in spots, 35 to 40 minutes.

Remove from oven, let cool 15 minutes before serving.

Mac and Cheese with Pancetta

There is something about Mac and Cheese that just screams comfort food, and seems to make you feel all warm inside when the winter weather is dreadful.

Mac and cheese is one of those classics that I have about 10 recipes for – the classic, butternut squash, etc. But, the following recipe is one of my favorites. Reason one – pancetta. Reason two – the mixture of cheeses.

Pancetta, Italian bacon, is one of my favorite ingredients. It has all of the greasy goodness of bacon but without the smoky flavor that can sometimes distract. This recipe can surely be made without it if you want, but unless you are a vegetarian, I wouldn’t consider omission.

The cheeses are another reason I love this recipe. It not only has the classic cheddar but also a little Parmesan for some saltiness/sharpness and mascarpone for a tangy kick (you could probably use cream fraiche for the same flavor).

The recipe is attributed to Bon Appetit. I cut it in half so it works with an 8×8 pan and is the perfect amount for 4 (or a very hungry 2!).

SIDE NOTE – The recipe calls for Panko, which is a Japanese breadcrumb. Although you could certainly substitute regular breadcrumbs, I highly recommend you take the time to go down your international food aisle and pick them up. I promise once you use them, you will never go back to regular breadcrumbs!

MAC AND CHEESE WITH PANCETTA
4 tablespoons butter, divided
4 oz thinly sliced pancetta, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 (or less to taste) teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1/8 cup all purpose flour
1 3/4 cups whole milk
2 cups coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
4-5 oz container mascarpone cheese (generally this is half of a standard size container)
3/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 pound elbow macaroni

Melt 1/2 tablespoon butter in large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add pancetta; saute until crisp, about 6 minutes. Add onion and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add crushed red pepper and garlic, stir 1 minute. Stir in 1.5 tablespoons butter; allow to melt, then add flour and stir 1 minute. Gradually whisk in 1 3/4 cups milk, simmer until thick enough to coat spoon thickly, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in cheeses. Whisk in more milk by small amounts until sauce is thick but pourable. Season with salt and pepper.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add panko and stir until very light golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in parsley.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter 8×8 glass baking dish. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain well. Return pasta to pot. Add warm cheese sauce, toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over. Bake mac and cheese until heated through and topping is golden brown, about 30 minutes.