We had a short-lived heat wave here in the midwest for the past several days.The joy and jubilation you feel when temperatures go from below significantly zero all the way up to the low 40s makes your heart race in the best of ways. After last year's blizzard on the east coast, I thought I would never again look so forward to the end of winter and the arrival of spring (or better yet the return of summer). But this polar vortex midwestern winter makes the blizzard and no power for three days experience seem more like an inconvenience than a hardship. As much as I love living in a place where there are four distinct seasons, I am beginning to think there just might be something to be said for living in a place where there are no temperature extremes, where it feels summer-like all year long, and where you don't have to go to the grocery store to buy 'fresh' herbs.
Just smelling fresh basil is enough to take me back to remembering what summer weather feels like even when it's below zero outside. So what better way to help one cope with the winter weather than to make something with fresh basil? Okay a vacation to a warm weather destination might be better. Since the vacation to a warmer climate isn't happening until March, I decided I would combine my cravings for both comfort food and the return of summer by making a Three Cheese Baked Rigatoni with Spinach. And of all of the comfort foods out there, pasta ranks pretty high on my list.
Setting this Baked Rigatoni apart from all other baked pasta dishes (other than the fresh basil in the garlic tomato sauce) are the cheeses: fresh mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and goat cheese. While goat cheese may be something not usually associated with a pasta dish, it is a cheese that takes it to a completely different level of joy and jubilation on your palate. And if you are someone who gets perverse pleasure from having friends and family take seconds, the Three Cheese Baked Rigatoni with Spinach will definitely feed that addiction of yours. It is one of those pasta dishes you just want to keep eating.
This is also a pasta dish some of you might think has a bit of garlic in it. So how much garlic is in it exactly? Between the tomato sauce and the sautéing of the spinach you will use 10 cloves. If some of you are thinking this is 'too much', I can only say 'oh, the incredible flavor from those 10 cloves'.
The base of the Baked Rigatoni is the Garlic Tomato Sauce. Two tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil are heated over medium-low heat in a large saucepan before 8 cloves of thinly sliced garlic are added. The garlic is sautéed until they turn golden (this will take about a minute or two). You then add a 28 ounce can of Tomato Puree and a 28 ounce can of Crushed Tomatoes (preferably San Marzano). The combination of the puree and crusted tomatoes makes for a great sauce, not just for this dish, but for any pasta dish. The garlic and tomatoes are simmered until thickened (approximately 15 minutes). I simmered for the full 15 minutes.
Once the sauce is slightly thickened you will add in a quarter cup of chopped fresh basil, two teaspoons of Kosher salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper. Stir, remove from the heat and set aside.
The next step in sautéing a finely chopped small Spanish (or yellow) onion and two cloves of chopped garlic in extra-virgin olive oil, before adding in the fresh spinach in batches. I used a 10 ounce bag of fresh spinach but next time will probably use a 16 ounce bag so that there will be spinach 'in almost every bite'. Once the spinach has been wilted, remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
You definitely want to use rigatoni in this dish (even though some of are thinking of making it with penne or fusilli) because there is just something about the way the sauce coats the rigatoni that allows you to taste both the sauce and the pasta. The rigatoni is cooked until al dente as it will continue to cook during the baking process. Drain the al dente rigatoni (do not rinse) and return it to the pan.
With your garlic tomato sauce, the spinach mixture and the rigatoni now made, you will combine all of them until the pasta is well coated. Before transferring the mixture to a 9 x 13 baking dish, stir in three quarters of the 1/2 inch cubed fresh mozzarella.
Top the dish with the remaining fresh mozzarella, two ounces of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and four ounces of crumbled goat cheese. Place the dish in a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes (or the cheeses on top have melted and it is heated through). If you make the dish early in the day and refrigerate until ready to bake, remove from the refrigerator at least an hour before baking and increase baking time by 10 to 15 minutes. Allow the dish to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Whether you are craving comfort food or the return of warmer weather or not, this is a pasta dish that could turn into your signature dish. It is a perfect dish for large gatherings (and we all know football playoffs, the Hollywood Award ceremonies, and the upcoming March Madness are just some excuses for a gathering). Make a great salad (tossed with a Champagne Vinaigrette), slice up some bread, pour the wine (like a Barolo, Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot), and you have the makings of a memorable meal.
It is also one of those dishes that would be a great welcome gift for neighbors or a get well, hope you feel better gift for friends. When you go to the grocery store to buy the ingredients, remember to buy more than one package of rigatoni. I think once you taste this, you are going to want to make it again soon rather than later.
Three Cheese Baked Rigatoni with Spinach
Ingredients
Sauce
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 can (28 ounces) Tomato Puree, preferably San Marzano
1 can (28 ounces) Crushed Tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil, plus more for serving
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small Spanish or yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 -16 ounces fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
Pasta/Cheese
1 pound rigatoni pasta
1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (divided)
4 ounces goat cheese, crumble
2 ounces freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
Kosher salt and black pepper
Directions
Tomato Sauce
1. Heat 2 Tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and stir until it turns golden brown (approximately 1 minute)
2. Add Tomato Puree and Crushed Tomatoes, simmer for approximately 15 minutes, or until sauce slightly thickens.
3. Add chopped basil, salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.
Three Cheese Baked Rigatoni with Spinach
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat 2 Tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook until it has softened (approximately 3 minutes). Stir in garlic and cook for additional minute.
3. Stir in spinach in batches, allowing each batch to wilt before adding the next one. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the rigatoni and cook for approximately 9 minutes or until al dente.
5. Drain pasta.
6. Add spinach mixture and pasta to tomato sauce. Stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.
7. Stir in three-quarters of the fresh mozzarella. Transfer to a 9 x 13 lightly oiled casserole dish.
8. Top with crumbled goat cheese, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and remaining fresh mozzarella.
9. Bake until cheese is melted and top is beginning to brown (approximately 25-30 minutes).
10. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
11. Top with freshly chopped basil.
I am one of those who can get inspired by quotes and who has often used them in speeches, presentations or newsletters to tie an idea or concept together. Sometimes I read a quote that seems to just capture my thoughts or feelings of the day and I take solace in those words (because it feels like their other kindred spirits out there). The other day I across a quote I don't ever recall seeing before. But that wasn't the only reason that it caught my attention. Reading the words 'When the words don't match the actions, trust the actions' was like having an epiphany, a much needed one actually. Not a 'scientific breakthrough, religious or philosophical discovery' kind of epiphany, but rather one that seemed to bring a deeper perspective to some things I have been mulling over for awhile now. On so many levels these words just rang true. A part of me wished I had came across this quote a long time ago to trigger this epiphany of mine. But then as they say, better late than never.
