Recipe: Pasta and Vegetables Au Gratin

PASTA AND VEGETABLES AU GRATIN

"This is just one example of the many dishes that a creative cook can produce from a combination of pasta and vegetables. Other good examples are cauliflower or broccoli with tomatoes, or fennel and eggplant seasoned with anchovies and topped with blue cheese. The quantities given here will produce 4 to 6 servings."



3/4 pound elicoidali or rigatoni
Butter for greasing the baking dish
4 tablespoons butter, melted
FOR THE VEGETABLES:
1/2 pound eggplant
1/2 pound zucchini
2 celery stalks
1 garlic clove
3/4 pound ripe tomatoes
1/4 olive oil
1/4 cup minced onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 tablespoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry red wine
FOR THE CHEESE SAUCE:
1 cup freshly grated pecorino Romano cheese
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon chopped mixed fresh herbs: parsley, lovage, or celery leaves, savory, rosemary
salt and freshly ground pepper
freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Remove the stem end from the eggplant, and cut into 3/8-inch cubes. Slice the zucchini and celery thinly. Peel and mince the garlic. Blanch the tomatoes, peel them, cut in half, remove the seeds, and dice.

Heat the oil in a large pan and saute the onion and garlic until translucent.

Add the eggplant, zucchini, and celery and fry over high heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring.

Add the tomatoes and thyme, season with salt and pepper, and pour in the red wine. Cook uncovered over high heat until the vegetables are soft and the red wine has reduced by half.

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until almost al dente, drain, and mix with the vegetables. Transfer the mixture to a buttered baking dish.

TO MAKE THE CHEESE SAUCE:
Whisk the Pecorino with the cream and egg yolks, add the chopped herbs, and season with salt pepper and nutmeg. Pour the sauce over the pasta and vegetables.

Bake in the oven preheated to 400 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes, moistening the top occasionally with the melted butter.

FOR A PARTICULARLY CRISP TOPPING:
Mix equal quantities of fine white bread crumbs and freshly grated Parmesan cheese and sprinkle over the top of the dish halfway through the baking time.

Source: The Pasta Bible by Christian Teubner, Silvio Rizzi, and Tan Lee Leng