vegetable not-sagna pasta toss
That name is very Rachel Ray, isn't it... unnecessarily grating but solid nonetheless. I only vaguely followed this recipe but I liked the technique of mixing in the pasta water with the cheese -- it made a simple and really delicious sauce. My notes in brackets.
Ingredients
1 pound curly pasta (recommended: campanelle or cavatappi by Barilla)
Coarse salt
1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach [I used a whole bag of fresh]
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium zucchini [I used yellow squash]
12 cremini or baby portobello mushrooms, sliced [I skipped]
[I added about five tomatoes plus a handful of cherry tomatoes]
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 roasted red pepper, drained, pat dry, quartered lengthwise then thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups part skim ricotta cheese [I used ricotta con leche, which is almost fat-free]
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, a couple of handfuls, plus some to pass at the table
1 cup fresh basil leaves, about 20 leaves
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg, eyeball it [yum, eyeballs]
I skipped all of these:
2 rounded tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup milk
Directions
Heat a pot of water to a boil for pasta. Salt boiling water and cook pasta to al dente. Heads up: reserve a ladle of the hot cooking water just before you drain pasta.
Place the frozen spinach on a plate and microwave to defrost it according to your microwave's directions. Place defrosted spinach in a clean kitchen towel and wring out the liquid. [I skipped all of that]
Heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. Halve the zucchini lengthwise then thinly slice into half moons and add to the pan along with the mushrooms. [I added tomatoes in this step] Cook 2 to 3 minutes then add onions and garlic to the pan. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. When the onions are tender, about 5 minutes, add defrosted spinach, separating into small bits as you handle it, and the roasted red peppers and toss to heat through.
[I skipped these whole step with the sauce and just picked up with the ricotta] Transfer veggies to a dish and return skillet to stove top. Add remaining 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and the butter. When the butter melts into extra-virgin olive oil, add 2 rounded tablespoons of flour and cook a minute or so, then whisk in stock and milk. Bring to a bubble and thicken the sauce, reducing it 2 to 3 minutes. Season the sauce with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Slide vegetables back into sauce.
Place the part-skim ricotta in a large shallow bowl and combine with a ladle of boiling, starchy pasta cooking water. Stir to combine then add in a couple of handfuls of grated cheese. [I added nutmeg and red pepper in this part]
Drain pasta and toss with cheeses. Add half the vegetables and sauce to pasta and toss to combine. Tear or shred basil and toss into pasta. Adjust seasonings. Top bowlfuls of Vegetable Not-sagna with remaining veggies in sauce and pass extra grated cheese at the table.
Ingredients
1 pound curly pasta (recommended: campanelle or cavatappi by Barilla)
Coarse salt
1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach [I used a whole bag of fresh]
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium zucchini [I used yellow squash]
12 cremini or baby portobello mushrooms, sliced [I skipped]
[I added about five tomatoes plus a handful of cherry tomatoes]
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 roasted red pepper, drained, pat dry, quartered lengthwise then thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups part skim ricotta cheese [I used ricotta con leche, which is almost fat-free]
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, a couple of handfuls, plus some to pass at the table
1 cup fresh basil leaves, about 20 leaves
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg, eyeball it [yum, eyeballs]
I skipped all of these:
2 rounded tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup milk
Directions
Heat a pot of water to a boil for pasta. Salt boiling water and cook pasta to al dente. Heads up: reserve a ladle of the hot cooking water just before you drain pasta.
Place the frozen spinach on a plate and microwave to defrost it according to your microwave's directions. Place defrosted spinach in a clean kitchen towel and wring out the liquid. [I skipped all of that]
Heat a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. Halve the zucchini lengthwise then thinly slice into half moons and add to the pan along with the mushrooms. [I added tomatoes in this step] Cook 2 to 3 minutes then add onions and garlic to the pan. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. When the onions are tender, about 5 minutes, add defrosted spinach, separating into small bits as you handle it, and the roasted red peppers and toss to heat through.
[I skipped these whole step with the sauce and just picked up with the ricotta] Transfer veggies to a dish and return skillet to stove top. Add remaining 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and the butter. When the butter melts into extra-virgin olive oil, add 2 rounded tablespoons of flour and cook a minute or so, then whisk in stock and milk. Bring to a bubble and thicken the sauce, reducing it 2 to 3 minutes. Season the sauce with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Slide vegetables back into sauce.
Place the part-skim ricotta in a large shallow bowl and combine with a ladle of boiling, starchy pasta cooking water. Stir to combine then add in a couple of handfuls of grated cheese. [I added nutmeg and red pepper in this part]
Drain pasta and toss with cheeses. Add half the vegetables and sauce to pasta and toss to combine. Tear or shred basil and toss into pasta. Adjust seasonings. Top bowlfuls of Vegetable Not-sagna with remaining veggies in sauce and pass extra grated cheese at the table.
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