Rachael Ray's Big Orange Book (8 page)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, cook the pasta to just shy of al dente.

Chop the pancetta into ¼ inch dice.

While pasta cooks, heat a skillet with EVOO over medium to medium-high heat. Add pancetta, cook 2 to 3 minutes then add celery, carrot, onions, garlic, rosemary, thyme and bay leaf to the skillet, season with salt and pepper. Saute the vegetables until tender, 6 to 7 minutes. Add beans and heat them through. Stir in ½ cup wine, simmer 30 seconds more and turn off heat. Remove bay leaf.

While vegetables cook, place a small sauce pot over medium heat, add butter, melt butter then whisk in flour and cook 1 minute then whisk in milk. Season sauce with salt, pepper, and nutmeg and reduce 4 to 5 minutes, stir in half the grated cheese, turn off heat and adjust seasoning.

While sauce cooks, place a rack in the middle of the oven and Preheat the broiler to high.

Drain pasta and return to the pot, toss with white bean mixture and sauce, stir to coat, transfer to a casserole dish, top with remaining cheese and place in oven to brown, 5 minutes.

SERVES 6

Zest the lemon into a bowl. Add the juice of the lemon to the bowl with pepper, whisk in EVOO then season the dressing with salt to taste, toss the tomatoes and greens with dressing and adjust seasoning.

Spring-Summer Ziti

Baked ziti is a seasonal meal for most of us, hearty fall and winter fare. I, for one, am sick and tired of living half my months without my ziti. Here is a fake-baked ziti so light and lovely in flavor you can serve it all spring and summer long. A light tomato sauce with tarragon and basil surrounds the ziti at the bottom and on the top of the serving dish. The pasta is tossed with asparagus tips, sweet ricotta, tender peas, and Parmigiano. Have tissues handy. This one might bring you to tears.

SERVES 6

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil to cook the pasta.

While the water is coming to a boil, heat the EVOO in a medium-high-sided skillet over medium heat. Sauté the shallots and garlic for 3 to 4 minutes, then stir in the tomatoes and crush them with a wooden spoon or potato masher. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste, cook for 5 minutes more, then stir in the tarragon and basil and remove from the heat.

While the sauce is simmering, salt the boiling water and cook the pasta to just under al dente—a nice bite left to it. After the pasta has been cooking for 5 minutes, add the asparagus and frozen peas to the pot for a minute or 2 before draining. Drain the pasta and veggies.

Add the ricotta, half the Parmigiano cheese, and the lemon zest to the hot pasta pot. Return the hot pasta to the pot and stir to coat evenly.

Pour half the tomato sauce into a large baking dish. Add all of the ziti and top with the remaining tomato sauce. Dot the top of the dish with mozzarella and sprinkle with the remaining Parmigiano. Bake until the top is brown and bubbly, about 12 minutes.

Pasta is always a favorite when you are trying to please a crowd. This spicy, earthy comfort dish could easily feed a hungry mob. Round out this meal with either wilted spinach or a spinach salad.

SERVES 6

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. When the water comes to a rolling boil, salt it and cook the pasta to al dente.

While the water is heating, heat 1 tablespoon of the EVOO over medium-high heat in a large, deep skillet with high sides. When the oil ripples, add the sausage and crumble and brown it for 5 minutes. Remove the sausage to a bowl. Drain off the fat, then add the remaining tablespoon of EVOO to the skillet and the mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes, then add the onions and garlic. Season with salt, pepper, and sage, and cook to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the beef stock and tomatoes and return the sausage to the sauce. Bring the sauce to a bubble, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Drain the pasta and return it to the pot; toss with 2 cups of the sauce and the cheese. Mound portions of pasta in shallow bowls and top with more sausage and mushroom sauce. Pass additional cheese at the table.

This is a combination of many of my favorite Sicilian flavors. The sauce begins with
aglio e olio,
garlic and oil and anchovies. The tuna, cherry tomatoes, and herbs take this dish to another level. I can eat the whole panful by myself—that's my Sicilian appetite!

SERVES 4

Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring it to a boil. Salt the water and cook the pasta to al dente.

While the pasta is boiling, place a large skillet over medium-low heat with about ¼ cup EVOO, 4 turns of the pan. Gently cook the garlic and anchovies 3 to 4 minutes until the anchovies melt away into the oil and garlic is tender and very fragrant. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the tuna and tomatoes and season with black pepper, rosemary and parsley. Toss 5 to 6 minutes to burst the tomatoes and cook the tuna. Stir in the wine and cook a minute or two.

Drain the pasta and combine with the sauce and basil. Serve immediately.

Mac 'n' cheese meets pastrami on rye—hold the pickle.

SERVES 6