 |
Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cook Time: 1 Minutes |
Ready In: 31 Minutes Servings: 8 |
|
I love both red & white sauces for pasta! This recipe is easier than making lasagna yet perfect for relaxed entertaining. It can be made in advance & refrigerated for up to 8 hours or foil wrapped & frozen for up to 2 weeks. If you can't find cavatappi (the thick cork screw shapes), use some other short pasta such as penne or rotini. Ingredients:
5 cups cavatappi pasta |
1 (10 ounce) bag fresh spinach, trimmed |
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained,rinsed & halved |
1 1/2 cups fontina or 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded |
1 lb ground beef |
1 onion, chopped |
2 cloves garlic, minced |
1 carrot, finely diced |
1 stalk celery, finely diced |
1 1/2 teaspoons oregano |
1/4 teaspoon salt |
1/4 teaspoon pepper |
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes |
1/4 cup tomato paste |
2 tablespoons butter |
1/4 cup flour |
2 1/4 cups milk |
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese |
1/4 teaspoon salt |
1 pinch pepper |
1 pinch nutmeg |
Directions:
1. RED SAUCE: Cook ground beef in a large skillet, breaking up with a spoon, until no longer pink, about 10 minutes.
2. Drain off fat.
3. Add next 7 ingredients& cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes.
4. Add tomatoes& paste, bring to a boil, then reduce heat& simmer until a spoon scraped across the bottom of the pan leaves a gap that fills in slowly.
5. This should take about 30 minutes.
6. WHITE SAUCE: Melt butter over medium heat in a saucepan.
7. Whisk in flour& cook, whisking constantly, for a minute.
8. Gradually add milk, 1/2 cup at a time, whisking constantly; continue cooking& whisking until thickened, about 15 minutes.
9. Stir in cheese& seasonings.
10. PASTA: Cook in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but firm, about 8- 10 minutes or according to package directions.
11. Coarsely chop spinach, add to the pot& give it a stir.
12. Drain well.
13. ASSEMBLY: Arrange half of the pasta mixture in a 13 x 9 inch glass baking dish.
14. Spoon red sauce over top; sprinkle with artichoke hearts.
15. Top with remainder of pasta mixture.
16. Spoon white sauce over top; sprinkle with cheese.
17. Bake in preheated 375F oven until bubbly& golden, about 25 minutes.
18. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
19. If made in advance& frozen, thaw in refrigerator& add 10 minutes to cooking time.
|
|