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Meatless Pasta Pie

January 19, 2010

I found the inspiration for this recipe from Cathy at Noble Pig. Noble Pig is a blog that makes me shake my head in wonder when I think about the time she puts into it. Lots and lots of posts, with tons of commentary, and lovely photographs. Oh, and she’s building a vineyard and winery, too.

I thought the kids would be amused by the rigatoni standing on end. I made my version cheese-only, rather than using meat and dairy. I only realized (after talking to Alison this afternoon) that I’d need to add some cheese to replace the beef just before I started to cook. So I used what I had: some low fat (1%) cottage cheese. Ricotta would have been much better. Regardless, I think the real secret to the flavor is the way the pasta is tossed with Parmesan before they’re arranged in the pan. Each bite you take has a delicious bit of sharpness from it.

I do have one warning: it turns out my spring form pan is 10 inches, not 9 inches as the recipe recommends.Of course, I didn’t whip out my ruler until the pound of pasta had been loaded into the pan, and there was a sizable chunk of space left! I loosely balled some aluminum foil to fill in the blank space, and continued along. It turned out fine, and once the first portion was served you couldn’t tell there’s been a glitch. Measure your pan!

Everyone at the table ate this dish as prepared. Everyone. Including pickiest little G., who was so enthusiastic about it he asked several times that I save leftovers for him to eat tomorrow. I know he won’t eat it tomorrow — he didn’t even eat the second serving he asked for — but it is wonderful to hear nonetheless.

Meatless Pasta Pie
Adapted from Noble Pig’s Pasta Pie

1 lb. rigatoni (use the longest, widest noodle you can, like De Cecco)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
non-stick spray (or extra olive oil)
1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes (I like Muir Glen Fire Roasted)
1 c. part-skim ricotta cheese
1 tsp. garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste
1 c. shredded part-skim mozzarella

Preheat over to 375° F.

Cook the rigatoni according to the directions on the package, but subtract a couple of minutes from the recommended time so they are slightly undercooked. Drain and rinse in cool water. Then return the drained pasta back to the pot. Toss the 1 Tbsp. olive oil and Parmesan cheese with the rigatoni until they are evenly coated, then set aside.

Lightly coat a 9-inch spring form pan with non-stick cooking spray. Stand each piece of pasta upright in the spring form pan, until the whole pan is filled. Set aside.

In the pot you used to boil the pasta, combine tomatoes, ricotta cheese, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the sauce mixture over the upright pasta, and gently pat it down into the tubes until there is only a thin layer of sauce left on top of the pasta. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese evenly on top.

Set spring form pan on top of an aluminum foil-lined baking pan (to catch any leaks) and bake for 30-40 minutes. Remove from the oven once the cheese on top is lightly browned and bubbly, and allow to cool for 10 minutes before unmolding. Cut into pie-shaped wedges to serve.

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Filed under: Cheese,Pasta

Tags: bake, cooking, De Cecco, fat, Meatless Pasta Pie, Muir Glen Fire Roasted, Noble Pig, recipe, sauce, whole