Shelly's Recipe

* Pasta Casserole * - Stanley Tucci's

Category: Pasta - Baked

4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups whole or skim milk
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 pound Swiss chard, tough stems removed and discarded and leaves coarsely chopped
1 pound farfalle
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups Maria Rosa's Sauce (recipe follows)
1/2 cup grated Fontina cheese
1/2 cup grated Jarlsberg cheese
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 350. Melt the butter in a medium-size saucepan set over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour, then slowly whisk in the milk. Cook the sauce, whisking frequently, until it thickens, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in the nutmeg. Cover with plastic wrap and set this besciamella sauce aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the Swiss chard and cook until tender but firm, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a fine-mesh sieve. Drain, pressing out any excess water. Return the water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, following the package instructions. Drain well and place the pasta in a large bowl and toss with the olive oil. Toss the pasta with the Swiss chard, 1 cup of Maria Rosa's Sauce, the White Sauce, and the grated Fontina, Jarlsberg, and mozzarella cheeses.

Spread the remaining 1 cup Maria Rosa's Sauce over the bottom of a large casserole or baking dish. Spread the pasta mixture on top of the sauce and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Bake until the sauce is bubbly and the casserole is warmed through, about 30 minutes.

SERVES 6
VARIATION: Penne or mezzani pasta may be substituted for the farfalle.

Maria Rosa's Sauce
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup diced carrots (about 2 medium-size carrots)
1/2 cup diced celery (about 2 small tender stalks)
1 cup diced onions (about ½ large onion)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian, flat leafed parsley
4 cups canned whole plum tomatoes (about one 35-ounce can)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large saucepan set over a medium heat, melt the butter in the olive oil. When the butter is foaming, add the carrots, celery, onions, and garlic and cook, stirring often, until they have softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley. Stir in the tomatoes, crushing them with your hands or with the back of a slotted spoon as you add them to the pan. Bring the sauce to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, until the tomatoes are sweetened and cooked, about 45 minutes.

SERVES 6