Spring may be just around the corner, but while there is still a chill in the air try this delicious baked pasta from Lucy Waverman. This is comfort food at its best – Italian sausages, a creamy sauce and five kinds of cheese. Enjoy it with a salad and a glass of wine.
Avoiding Additives and Preservatives
Look for sausages without fillers or preservatives and for wine with a sulfite count lower than 10 parts per million. Cheese may contain colour, so read the label carefully. Use butter that contains only cream.
After browning sausage, mix ingredients in a bowl
Place pasta in glass baking dish and top with cheese
Bake until bubbling and brown on top
Ingredients:
12 oz (375 g) rigatoni
2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
3 mild Italian sausages, meat removed from casings (14 oz or 400 g)
½ tsp (5 ml) chili flakes
½ cup (125 ml) white wine
1 cup (250 ml) whipping cream
1 cup (250 ml) milk
8 oz (250 g) ricotta
1 4-oz (125 g) ball buffalo mozzarella, sliced
8 oz (250 g) grated fontina
4 oz (125 g) grated ricotta salata (or feta)
1 cup (250 ml) green peas, defrosted if frozen
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp (15 ml) butter
½ (125 ml) cup grated Parmesan
Preparation:
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add rigatoni and cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until pasta is slightly undercooked (it will continue to cook as it bakes). Drain and reserve, reserving 1 cup (250 ml) cooking water separately.
Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Crumble in sausage meat and cook, breaking up with a fork, until it loses its pinkness, 4 to 5 minutes. Add chili flakes and cook for 1 more minute. Add wine and bring to boil. Boil until wine is reduced by half, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in reserved cooking water. Return to a boil then remove from heat.
Transfer contents of skillet to a bowl and allow to cool. Stir in cream, milk, ricotta, buffalo mozzarella, fontina, ricotta salata and green peas. Stir in pasta. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed.
Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C). Butter a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) baking dish. Pour pasta mixture into dish and dot with butter. Cover with foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer or until mixture is bubbling and cheese is golden on top. Serves 6-8.
From Lucy Waverman
