Cheesy & Crunchy Baked Pasta with Cauliflower

I loved that this cheesy comfort food baked pasta dish incorporated an entire head of cauliflower. The lemon zest and capers also added brightness which had a nice balance with the cheese.

The recipe was adapted from Food and Wine, contributed by Ina Garten. Great comfort food.

Yield: Serves 8

• Kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound dried pasta, such as medium shells (I used Cascatelli)
• extra virgin olive oil
• 2 1/2 pounds cauliflower (1 large head cut into small florets) 
• 3 tablespoons sage leaves, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 15 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 cups Fontina cheese, lightly packed (10 oz with rind)
• 1 cup (8 oz) whole milk ricotta
• 1/2 cup panko
• 6 tablespoons freshly grated Pecorino-Romano cheese
• 2 tablespoons parsley leaves, minced fresh

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. (I set my oven to convection.)
2. Fill a large pot with water, add 2 tablespoons of salt and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until 2 minutes less than al dente, according to the instructions on the package. (Since it will be baked later, don’t overcook it! Drain and pour into a very large bowl.)
3. Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large (12 to 14-inch) skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat, add half of the cauliflower in one layer and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the florets are lightly browned and tender. Season with salt.
4. Pour the cauliflower, including the small bits, into the bowl with the pasta.
5. Add 3 more tablespoons of olive oil to the sauté pan, add the remaining cauliflower, cook until browned and tender and add to the bowl.
6. Add the sage, capers, garlic, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper to the bowl and stir carefully.
7. Stir in the Fontina.
8. Transfer half of the mixture to a 10 x 13 x 2–inch rectangular baking dish.
9. Spoon 12 rounded tablespoons of ricotta on the pasta and spoon the remaining pasta mixture on top. (I used a cookie scoop.)
10. Combine the panko, grated Pecorino, minced parsley and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small bowl and sprinkle it evenly on top.
11. Bake for 22 minutes on convection, or 25 to 30 minutes in a standard oven, until browned and crusty on top. Serve hot.

Note: The dish can be assembled ahead of time. Assemble the dish, cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake before serving.

Sheet Pan Crispy Mushroom-Parmesan Sandwiches

I must confess that we’ve eaten these delicious sandwiches on a couple of occasions already. They are a fabulous variation of the more common vegetarian alternative “parm” sandwich, eggplant parmesan. Worth using the oven in the summer! 🙂

This recipe was adapted from Meatless Sheet Pan Suppers: 100 Surprising Vegetarian Meals Straight from the Oven by Raquel Pelzel. I served them with both challah and potato rolls, on different occasions. The original recipe recommends sub rolls. I modified the proportions, used part-skim mozzarella, and substituted fontina for the provolone cheese. Fabulous!

Yield: 4 sandwiches

• 8 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, finely grated
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 tsp plus a pinch of kosher salt
• 3/4 cup grated low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 3/4 cup grated fontina or provolone cheese
• 6 T finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
• 4 large or 6 medium portobello mushrooms, stemmed and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1/2 cup store-bought or homemade marinara sauce (I used Trader Joe’s Marinara Sauce with Barolo Wine), or more, as desired
• 4 rolls, such as challah, potato, or sub rolls

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 400 degrees, preferably on convection roast.
2. Combine the olive oil and garlic in a microwave safe bowl, and warm in the microwave at high power until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 to 45 seconds.
3. Pour 3 T garlic oil into a small bowl and add the panko bread crumbs and a pinch of kosher salt. Rub together with your fingers to combine and set aside, reserving the remaining garlic oil. (Add up to an additional tablespoon of garlic oil, as needed.)
4. In a separate bowl, combine the mozzarella, fontina (or provolone), and Parmigiano Reggiano cheeses.
5. Place the mushrooms in a medium-sized bowl and toss with 2 T garlic oil and the remaining 1 tsp kosher salt.
6. Transfer the mushrooms to a parchment paper-lined, rimmed sheet pan and roast until tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Do not flip them. Transfer the mushrooms to a plate and set aside.
7. Line a second sheet pan with aluminum foil (or the same pan if it is cool enough to handle). Adjust the oven rack to the upper-middle position and preheat the broiler to high.
8. Open the rolls and lightly brush the interior of each with some of the remaining garlic oil.
9. Place the rolls, face up, on the prepared sheet pan and broil until the bread is golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Watch carefully! Remove the rolls from the oven, keeping the broiler on, and divide the tops of the rolls among 4 plates. Leave the bottom of the rolls on the sheet pan.
10. Arrange the mushrooms over the bottom halves of the rolls and top each with 2 (or more) T marinara, spreading it out a bit.
11. Divide the cheese over each mound of vegetables and return the sheet pan to the broiler. Broil until the cheese is melted, 1 to 3 minutes, watching carefully.
12. Sprinkle the reserved panko bread crumbs evenly over the cheese and return to the broiler until the crumbs are golden and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes.
13. Transfer each portion to a plate and top with reserved roll top. Serve hot.

Cheesy Baked Pasta with Cauliflower & Tomatoes

I have a couple family friendly comfort food pasta casseroles to share. In my house, this type of dish always seems to be the perfect meal in cold weather.

We recently enjoyed this one on a snowy evening- eating by candlelight. I thanked my lucky stars that it had finished baking before our power went out… hence the candlelight! 😉

This recipe was adapted from Bon Appétit, contributed by Chris Morocco. I used diced tomatoes and substituted fontina for provolone. I suppose half and half could be substituted for some (or all) of the heavy cream, but I went for the full indulgence on this (dark and cold) occasion.

• 1 pound pasta, such as medium shell or tube pasta (I used Capunti pasta)
• 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 8 ounces low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella, coarsely grated
• 4 ounces fontina, coarsely grated
• 2 ounces extra sharp cheddar, coarsely grated
• 2 ounces Parmesan, finely grated
• 1½ cups heavy cream
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ½ head of cauliflower, coarsely chopped
• room-temperature butter or nonstick cooking oil spray (for pan)
• fresh herbs such as thyme, basil, or parsley, for garnish, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350°, preferably on convection.
2. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until about halfway cooked (it needs to be very firm at this stage so that it doesn’t overcook when baked). Drain, reserving ½ cup pasta cooking liquid, and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Drain well.
3. Combine mozzarella, fontina, cheddar, Parmesan, cream, diced tomatoes, and reserved ½ cup pasta cooking liquid in a large bowl; mix to combine. Season generously with salt and pepper.
4. Add cauliflower and cooked pasta and toss to coat.
5. Grease a 3-qt. or 13x9x2″ baking dish with butter or cooking oil spray.
6. Scrape in pasta mixture and spread out into an even layer.
7. Cover dish tightly with foil and bake pasta until hot throughout and steaming when foil is lifted, 20–25 minutes.
8. Remove foil and increase oven temperature to 425◦, preferably on convection.
9. Continue to bake pasta until sauce is bubbling and top is browned and crunchy in spots, 20–30 minutes.
10. Let cool slightly before serving. Garnish with fresh herbs, as desired.

Note: Pasta can be assembled 2 days ahead. Cover and chill until ready to bake.

One Year Ago: Vegetable Shepherd’s Pie

Two Years Ago: Oscar Night Waffles

Three Years Ago: Chicken Parmesan with Chicken Thighs

Four Years Ago: Chicken, Shrimp, & Clam Jambalaya

Five Years Ago:

• Margherita Pizza with Tomatoes, Mozzarella, & Basil
• Perfect Pizza Sauce

One-Pot Baked Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe

So, this dish uses broccoli rabe instead of broccoli- but I’m still including it in my “series.” 🙂 This is a skillet version of one of my favorite classic Italian dishes. It was delightfully cheesy too.

This recipe was adapted from Bon Appetit, contributed by Claire Saffitz. I used large garlic cloves and decreased the broiling time to 2 minutes. We ate it with a large green salad. Absolutely delicious!!

Yield: Serves 6

• coarse salt
• 12 ounces Fontina and/or aged cheddar cheese (about 4 1/2 cups), divided
• 6 large garlic cloves
• 2 large sprigs sage
• 1 bunch of broccoli rabe
• ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1 pound ridged medium pasta shells, or large tube pasta, such as lumaconi or rigatoni

1. Place racks in center and upper third of oven; preheat to 325, preferably on convection.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, for the pasta. Salt generously.
3. Grate the Fontina cheese on the large holds of a box grater (you should have about 4½ cups).
4. Smash the garlic cloves, peel, and coarsely chop.
5. Pick all sage leaves from stems and set aside about 10. Finely chop remaining leaves (you should have about 1 tablespoon).
6. Trim tough dried ends from the broccoli rabe, then cut stems into 2″ pieces. Leave leafy ends long.
7. Heat a deep, large, ovenproof skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high. Add ¼ cup oil and swirl to coat.
8. Remove sausage from casings and add to skillet. Break into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook, undisturbed, until sausage is browned, about 4 minutes. Stir a couple of times and continue to cook, undisturbed again, until sausage is fully cooked through, about 3 minutes longer.
9. Add garlic, chopped sage, and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring, until garlic is golden, about 2 minutes.
10. Stir in half-and-half and simmer until sauce is thickened slightly, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
11. Gradually add about two-thirds of cheese, bit by bit, stirring constantly and letting cheese melt completely before adding more, until sauce is smooth and thick, about 3 minutes; season with salt and remove from heat.
12. Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling salted water 2 minutes shy of package instructions (8–10 minutes depending on type).
13. During the last 2 minutes, add all of broccoli rabe to pot with pasta. Drain in a colander and shake several times to remove excess water. Return pasta and broccoli rabe to empty pasta pot.
14. Add cheesy sausage mixture from skillet to pot with pasta. Stir until pasta and broccoli rabe are coated in sauce, then transfer everything back to skillet.
15. Cover skillet tightly with foil and bake on center rack until pasta is tender and sauce is bubbling, 30–40 minutes. Let rest a few minutes while you heat broiler.
16. Remove foil and top with remaining cheese.
17. Toss sage leaves with remaining 1 T oil in a small bowl and arrange over pasta.
18. Broil until cheese is browned and bubbling in spots, about 2 to 5 minutes (depending on strength of broiler).
19. Let pasta cool a minute or two before serving.

One Year Ago: 

• Birthday Lasagna

Two Years Ago:

• Pancetta, White Bean, & Queso Fresco Empanadas
• Chicken & Corn Empanadas

Four Years Ago:

• Baked Pasta with Spinach, Chicken Sausage, & Vodka Sauce
• Classic Mozzarella Grandma Pizza Pie

Five Years Ago:

• Speedy Baked Ziti
• Chicken & Kale Casserole

Spaghetti Pie with Wild Mushrooms & Spinach

This is a cheesy and delicious vegetarian comfort food dish. The pie was inspired by roadside diner spaghetti sandwiches in New Zealand! 🙂

This recipe was adapted from Food and Wine, contributed by Gail Simmons. I increased the amount of garlic and spinach and modified the baking time for a convection oven. I used a combination of cremini and shiitake mushrooms. Wonderful.

Yield: serves 8 to 10

• unsalted butter, softened, for brushing the pan or cooking oil spray
• 1 pound spaghetti
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, minced
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 pound mixed wild mushrooms, such as cremini, porcini and stemmed shiitakes, cut into 1-inch pieces
• coarse salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 6 ounces baby spinach
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 3 cups shredded Fontina cheese (10 ounces)
• 1 cup fresh ricotta cheese
• 1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped sage
• 1 tablespoon thyme leaves

1. Preheat the oven to 425°, preferably on convection. Tightly wrap the outside of 
a 9-inch springform pan with foil and brush the inside with butter or spray with cooking oil.
2. In a pot of salted boiling water, cook the spaghetti 
until barely al dente; drain.
3. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until sizzling, about 1 minute.
4. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Scrape into a bowl.
5. In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the spinach, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Incorporate all of the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
6. Scrape spinach into the mushrooms and let cool slightly.
7. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the milk.
8. Add the spaghetti, mushroom mixture, 3 cheeses, sage, thyme, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper; mix well.
9. Scrape into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
10. Set the pan on a baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes in a convection oven or 35 minutes in a standard oven, until bubbling and the top 
is golden.
11. Let stand for 15 minutes. Remove the ring, cut 
the pie into wedges and serve.

I’m sharing my pie at Angie’s Fiesta Friday #196, co-hosted by Jhuls @The Not So Creative Cook and Antonia @ Zoale.com. Enjoy!

One Year Ago:

• Curried Squash Galette

Two Years Ago:

• Green-Lentil Curry

Three Years Ago:

• Pad See Ew #2

Four Years Ago:

• Baked Orzo, Bacon, Feta, & Spinach Custard

Butternut Squash Bread Soup (Panade de Butternut)

This dish could have fed an army. It was GIGANTIC.  I would describe it as French onion soup meets oozy casserole. Full-flavored, cheese-covered comfort food. The thinly sliced butternut squash and fresh herbs layered into the bread, caramelized onions, and cheese added a little bit of excitement as well as color and nutrition. 😉

This recipe was adapted from My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz. Lebovitz stated that this is one of those dishes that improves as it sits… thank goodness! We had lots of leftovers. 🙂 I added additional homemade stock to the leftovers, before reheating, just to make it a little bit soupier.

Yield: Serves 8 to 10

• 3 T unsalted butter
• 3 T olive oil
• 4 large yellow onions, peeled and sliced
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled (4 thinly sliced & 4 whole)
• 2 T mixed fresh thyme and sage
• 2-pound (900 g) loaf firm-textured sourdough bread, sliced
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 quarts (2 l) warm chicken or turkey stock, plus additional stock for serving, as desired
• 2-pound butternut squash or other winter squash such as Kabocha, peeled, seeded and sliced into 1/8-inch slices
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups grated Comte, Gruyere, Jarlsberg, or Fontina cheese
• 1/2 cup (1 1/2 oz /45 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I used Parmigiano-Reggiano)

1. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. (I used an enameled cast iron Dutch oven.)
2. Add the onions, 4 cloves of sliced garlic, and 1 teaspoon of the herbs. Cook for about 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are completely wilted and beginning to brown on the bottom and edges.
3. While the onions are cooking, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4. Put the slices of bread on baking sheets in a single layer and toast in the oven, turning the slices over midway, until both sides are dry, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven.
5. When cool enough to handle, rub both sides of the bread with the whole garlic cloves.
6. Slice the peeled and seeded squash into 1/8-inch slices. (I used a mandoline.)
7. When the onions are done, pour in the wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen up any of the flavorful brown bits. Cook for a minute or two, until the wine is absorbed.
8. Add 2 cups of the stock to the onions and cook until the stock is mostly absorbed 10 to 15 minutes, and then add the rest of the stock and heat until the stock is hot. Remove from heat.
9. To assemble the Panade, cover the bottom of a 3 to 4 quart (3-4 l), 3+inch (8 cm) deep, baking dish with a layer of bread, breaking any pieces so they fit in a single layer, but keeping them as large as possible.
10. Ladle about half of the onions and some of the stock over the bread, and then cover with half of the squash slices. Season lightly with salt, pepper, and half of the remaining herbs.
11. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup (40 g) of the Comte.
12. Add a second layer of bread and ladle the rest of the onions and more stock over the bread. Cover with remaining squash slices. Season the squash with salt, pepper, and the remaining herbs.
13. Sprinkle another 1/2 cup (40 g) of Comte over the squash layer.
14. Cover the squash with a final layer of bread and then ladle the rest of the stock over the bread.
15. Press down on the ingredients to encourage them to meld together.
16. Top with remaining 1 cup (90 g) Comte, and the Parmesan.
17. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and tighten it around the edges. Don’t press it down on the surface or some cheese may stick to the foil during baking.
18. Set the baking dish on a parchment paper or foil-lined rimmed baking sheet to catch any spills.
19. Bake for 45 minutes, uncover the Panade, and bake for another 30 minutes, or until it is very well browned and crisp on top.
20. Let cool for about 15 minutes before serving. Spoon portions into shallow soup bowls, making sure each serving is topped with crusty topping.

I’m bringing my dinner-party ready comfort food to share at Angie’s Fiesta Friday #164 this week, hosted by Jhuls @The Not So Creative Cook. Enjoy!

One Year Ago:

• White Bean Soup with Bacon & Herbs

Two Years Ago:

• Greek Red Lentil Soup

Three Years Ago:

• Red Onion Soup with Gruyere Toasts
• Moroccan Butternut Squash Soup

Four Years Ago:

• Winter Squash Casserole
• Roasted Acorn Squash
• Creamy Baked Acorn Squash

Cheesy Pasta Casserole with Wild Mushrooms

This is high-class macaroni and cheese. 😉 Fancy comfort food. A delicious vegetarian main course. What’s not to love? My favorite pasta shape- orecchiette- with earthy mushrooms, salty Parmigiano Reggiano, and fabulous melted fontina cheese. Prior to incorporating the mushrooms with the pasta, they are roasted with rosemary which infuses them with amazing flavor. Delicious.

This recipe was adapted from the New York Times, contributed by Melissa Clark. I used two cloves of garlic and a combination of cremini and shiitake mushrooms. I also decreased the baking temperature to 475 degrees (because I was worried about damaging my special casserole dish). No worries- it was still brown and bubbly. 🙂

Now that spring has sprung, I thought that I may have missed my chance to post this cozy dish, but it may snow here tonight! So I suppose I’m safe.

Yield: Serves 6

• 1 pound mixed wild or cultivated mushrooms, such as oyster, maitake and shiitake (I used 12 oz cremini mushrooms and 4 oz shiitake mushrooms.)
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt, more as needed
• ½ teaspoon black pepper, plus a few grinds
• 2 fresh rosemary branches
• ½ pound orecchiette, farfalle or other short pasta
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• ½ cup fresh ricotta
• 5 ounces fontina cheese, grated (1 1/4 cups)
• 2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage
• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated (I used a garlic press.)

1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees.
2. Trim the mushrooms and cut into 1-inch pieces. Toss with the olive oil, the salt, a few grinds of pepper and the rosemary. Spread on a large baking sheet and roast, tossing once or twice, until golden brown and crisped around the edges, 15 to 18 minutes. Discard rosemary.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for at least a few minutes less than the package directs. (You want the pasta very al dente; it will finish softening in the sauce.) Drain well.
4. Turn oven up to 475 degrees.
5. In a large bowl, stir together the cream, ricotta, fontina, Parmesan, sage, pepper, garlic and a pinch of salt
6. Stir in the pasta and mushrooms.
7. Arrange in a shallow 2-quart gratin dish or 9- by 13-inch pan.
8. Bake until cheese is melted and bubbly and browned in spots, 10 to 15 minutes.

One Year Ago:

• Baked Spaghetti & Mozzarella

Two Years Ago:

• Creamy Mushroom Pappardelle

Three Years Ago:

• Baked Shells with Cauliflower and Taleggio or Baked Orecchiette with Cauliflower and Fontina