Baked Rigatoni

 This is another recipe I created to use up many items I had on hand: the fresh herbs, onions, green peppers and the last of the tomatoes.
 
olive oil   
1 onion, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small can sliced mushrooms, drained and liquid reserved (I used portabella)
1 t fresh oregano leaves, snipped
couple fresh basil leaves, snipped
small handful fresh parsley leaves, snipped
about 6 plum tomatoes, chopped   
1-2 T tomato paste (depending on how thick you like your sauce)
salt and pepper to taste
pinch sugar  
1 cup shredded Italian blend cheese
2 cups rigatoni, cooked about 5 minutes
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

In a large frying pan, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté onions and green pepper til softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and mushrooms and cook another minute or so. Stir in fresh herbs.

Increase heat to high and stir in tomatoes, paste, reserved mushroom juice, salt and pepper and sugar. Taste and adjust as desired. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 1 1/2-2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large bowl (or pasta cooking pot) combine pasta, sauce and Italian cheese. Pour into prepared baking dish. Top with Parmesan.

Bake for 20 minutes, or til hot and bubbly. Allow to stand 10 minutes before serving.

I served the pasta with salads topped with homemade ranch (for my favorite ranch recipe: http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977065556&nav=MyGather) and grilled spicy pepper bread.http://media-files.gather.com/images/d771/d276/d745/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

~Big Al's~ Subs

Image
 I was inspired by this article from my sister Rob, who explains who Big Al is and what he has meant to legions of hungry people in a small town: http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977272353&nav=Namespace What makes Big Al's subs better than any others that I have tried are the buns. He uses the same dough recipe as he does for the pizza. This is what I have tried to recreate here. I also made the sub sauce, which is near world famous. I don't think anyone who orders a sub from Big Al's does not also get a side of the sauce. (Well, other than me, but Matt likes it, so of course I had to make it). This is my version of the Big Al's Special complete with sub sauce. Homemade Sub Buns (recipe follows) Capicola Genoa Salami Provolone Cheese Lettuce, tomato and onion Pepperoncini (optional. They aren't authentic to an Al's) Al's Sub Sauce (recipe follows) Homemade Sub Buns I use this pizza dough recipe, which I really like:...
Read more

Mario Batali's Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower

Image
This pasta was absolutely fantastic! 1/2 head cauliflower, broken into florets olive oil, divided salt and freshly ground black pepper 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 anchovies 1 small (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes 2 cups hot cooked pasta (I used cavatappi) 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan chopped fresh parsley leaves pinch saffron 1 T pine nuts, lightly toasted Preheat oven to 350°. Place cauliflower on a large baking pan and drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for about 15-20 minutes or til lightly golden. Remove and set aside. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Cook garlic for a few seconds; mix in anchovies, tomato and garlic. Stir til the anchovies dissolve, about 5 minutes. Toss hot pasta with cauliflower, anchovie mixture, parsley, Parmesan, parsley and saffron. Taste and adjust as desired. Stir in pine nuts and serve immediately. I served the pasta with grilled Texas toast.
Read more

Magic Cookie Bars Recipe

Image
One of my favorite cookie bars of all! 1/2 cup butter, melted 1 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed Milk 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips 1 1/3 cups flaked sweetened coconut 1 cup chopped walnuts Preheat oven to 350°. Coat 13x9" baking pan with non stick cooking spray. Combine vanilla wafer crumbs and butter. Press into bottom of prepared pan. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture. Layer evenly with chocolate chips, coconut and nuts. Press down firmly with a spatula. Bake 25 minutes or til lightly browned. Cool. Cut into bars.
Read more