Pasta Pie Recipe

Pasta  Pie

• 1 pound Rigatoni
• 2 Tablespoons Olive oil, divided
• 1 pound Ground beef (I used ground sirloin)
• 2 Garlic gloves, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon Freshly ground pepper

• 1 can (28 ounces) Good quality crushed tomatoes
• Butter, for pan
• Salt
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 8 ounces Coarsely grated mozzarella cheese

Directions

• 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.
• Heat remaining 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef. Cook, stirring occasionally until browned. Add garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook 2 minutes more.
• Add crushed tomatoes; simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.
• Toss pasta with Parmesan cheese. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Tightly pack pasta into pan, standing each piece on end. Spread meat sauce on top of pasta.
• Push the meat sauce into the pasta holes filling each one up. Stuffing the meat into the holes is a weirdly satisfying task. Enough said.
• 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 with any remaining meat sauce you might have.

(Source)

Four Cheese Baked Skillet Rigatoni

Four Cheese Baked Skillet Mini Rigs

serves 4-6

1 pound mini rigatoni pasta

1 shallot, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressde

1/2 teaspoon olive oil

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup flour

2 cups milk

1/3 cup mascarpone cheese

8 ounces freshly grated gruyere cheese

8 ounces freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese

8 ounces freshly grated fontina cheese

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/3 cup panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grate cheeses, placing them together in a large bowl. Boil water and prepare pasta according to directions, cooking for 3-4 minutes less than called-for time.

Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add in olive oil and butter, then throw in shallots with a pinch of salt. Stir to coat and cook for 2-3 minutes, until soft. Add in garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add flour to the skillet then whisk constantly to create a roux. Let cook for 2-3 minutes until golden brown. Pour in milk, stirring continuously for another 1-2 minutes. Add in mascarpone and almost all of the grated cheeses, reserving about 1/2 cup of the grated cheese. Stir continuously until mixture thickens, about 3-4 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, then tasted and season more if desired. Add pasta to the skillet and toss thoroughly to coat.

Sprinkle the top of the mixture with remaining cheeses and breadcrumbs. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until top is golden brown and bubbly. Serve immediately.

Note: this pasta will be more oily then traditional mac and cheese due to the mascarpone.