Pasta al Forno
Ingredients
- 1 lb rigatoni pasta
- 4 oz pancetta or bacon, very thinly sliced
- 1 0.3 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 8 oz mixed mushrooms, sliced
- 3 tbsp julienned fresh basil
- 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1 0.5 lb ricotta cheese
- 0.5 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 cup grated provolone cheese
- 1 0.5 cup crumbled gorgonzola or blue cheese
- 28 oz Italian plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
- 1 0.5 cup grated pecorino Romano or Parmesan, divided
- 1 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- 1
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until halfway cooked. Drain and rinse under cold water. Toss with a little olive oil.
- 2
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook pancetta until crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Add sausage to drippings and cook, breaking into pieces, until browned. Transfer to paper towels.
- 3
Pour off all but 3 tablespoons drippings. Add onion, carrot, mushrooms, basil, and parsley. Cook until onion is tender and mushrooms are golden. Season with salt and pepper.
- 4
Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, combine ricotta and gradually whisk in cream. Stir in stock. Add par-cooked pasta, pancetta, sausage, vegetable mixture, provolone, gorgonzola, tomatoes, and 1 cup Romano. Season and stir well.
- 5
Transfer to a sprayed large baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining Romano. Cover and bake 35 minutes.
- 6
Remove cover and bake an additional 20 minutes until golden brown and bubbly. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.