6.08.2009

Pasta Pie

I love a food challenge. When I saw the pasta pie on Noble Pig's food blog I knew I had to try it, immediately. The original recipe traces back to Martha Stewart and doesn't everything really? I followed the recipe almost exactly, with the exception of using meat. I am not a vegetarian, but I do not like meat sauce, so hence just a simple sauce.

I never have a lot of time to cook dinner so anything that will save me time is a plus. I use canned tomato sauce (one day I will make my own from scratch) and a can of crushed tomatoes as well as a small can of tomato paste for my sauce. I always make extra sauce and freeze what I don't use for later.

I almost always grate my own cheese, unless I am feeling a little lazy or in a rush. Tonight, for this recipe, I grated fresh Parmesan cheese.

My favorite part of the recipe was putting the pasta into the springform pan. I though it would take me forever to get it to stand up without it all falling over, but it went really fast and was so easy. The recipe calls to butter the pan, but I just used coking spray and that works just as well.



Directions & Ingredients:
Parts adapted and borrowed from Noble Pig

1 pound rigatoni
2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 garlic clove, crushed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 Can
1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
1 can (28 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (6 oz.)
Cooking Spray
Salt
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces coarsely grated mozzarella
Seasonings (for the sauce)

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until slightly underdone (I cooked mine for 12 minutes when the box indicated 14 minutes). One pound of pasta should be cooked in 6 quarts of water, make sure you are using a big enough pot so the pasta doesn't stick together. When done, rinse in cold water and drain again. Toss pasta with 1 Tablespoon olive oil to coat. Set aside.

In a separate pot add other tablespoon of olive oil and garlic. Saute garlic until golden and then add the cans of crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste (season as you like); simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.

Toss pasta with Parmesan cheese. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Tightly pack pasta into pan, standing each piece on end. Spread sauce on top of pasta.


Push the sauce into the pasta holes filling each one up.

Place in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top and bake another 10-15 minutes until cheese is golden. Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen and then unmold.

Cut into wedges
and serve. I served this with a simple green salad and garlic bread.

5 comments:

  1. This looks fabulous! I would have never thought to do something like this, but what a good idea! And yes, everything does trace back from Martha Stewart :)

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  2. What a fun idea! Very cool presentation!

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  3. Can you make this for me for my birthday cake this year??? :) It looks wonderful!!!!
    [Chels]

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  4. This would make a great cake...I could even throw some bacon on top for you, I hear you like that :)

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