baked pasta with few-things-i-have-left-in-the-fridge vegetables :)

November 17th, 2009

A rather long title for this simple dish :), but really, those vegetable were the last last veggies I had in my fridge. I have been too busy with projects that I have not gone grocery shopping either going to the market. In fact, I will go directly after writing this post (the project finished yesterday!) You might find the ingredients a bit odd in amount, feel free to add more veggies as you like, but I found this composition quite perfect :)

I am quite short in words today, a bit lost too, like always when I have just finished a project because everytime I have one(s)…I eat sleep breathe in it :) could not do in other way. I put myself 110% in it. My friends once told me: Never be emotional or attach 110% to a project, or you will never be a professional. I said:…then I will never be. Ha, now I talk too much :) Here is the recipe, but please feel free to just throw any veggies you like!

Baked Pasta with few-things-i-have-left-in-the-fridge Vegetables

Serve 2 as main or 3 as first course (or 2 super hungry people or 3 normal hungry people :)

Music: RJD2 - Deadringer! Woauauw!

Two handful of short pasta (I used penne)

A handful of fresh or frozen peas

1/3 zucchini, cut as you like

A handful of baby corn, left whole or halved

1 carrot, sliced

1 medium potato, peeled and cubed

3/4 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced

Few twigs of thyme

1/2 stick of celery, diced

3 knobs of fresh ricotta

Sea salt and pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

A knob of butter

Preheat an oven to 200C

Few handful of freshly grated cheese of your choice (I used parmigiano, montasio stagionato and pecorino)

Bring to boil a a pan of water, add some salt, then throw the potato and pasta, cook until the potato is soft and the pasta is al dente.

In the mean time, heat some glugs of extra virgin olive oil, low heat, add the sliced shallots and thyme, fry until soft and fragrant. Add the celery and carrot, turn up the heat to medium then add the rest of the vegetables. Cook until all vegetable are cooked and still a bit crunchy. Season with sea salt and pepper. Turn off the heat.

When the pasta is ready, reserve a cup the boiling water and drain the pasta.

Add the vegetables to the pasta, then add the ricotta, butter, mix well, if needed, add some of the reserved cooking water. Adjust the seasoning. Add some of the grated cheese.

Transfer to a buttered ovenproof dish, sprinkle with the rest of the grated cheese.

Baked for 15 minutes, then put it under grill for 10 minutes or until the top is golden and crusty.

Buon apetito!

filed under: food, paaaaaaaasta