Layered Pasta Pie Recipes

Steps:

• Break vermicelli into thirds and cook,& drain.
• Saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Mix with vermicelli, 1/2 Cup Romano and 1 egg.
• Press into bottom of well greased 9" springform pan.
• Mix 2 egg yolks, ricotta, spinach, and 1/2 cup romano.
• Spread over pasta layer.
• Beat 2 egg whites till stiff. Fold in 1 1/2 cups pasta sauce.Pour on top.
• Bake at 350º 50-60 minute till set.
• Let stand at least 10 minutes before cutting.
• Garnish with heated leftover sauce and parsley sprigs.

Steps:

• For the sauce. In a pan with straight sides on medium heat, add the olive oil and sausage. Crumble the sausage into bits, not boulders, and cook until browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon to a plate, leaving the fat in the pan. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook until wilted and darkened, 6 to 8 minutes. Season with pepper and remove from the heat. Add the sausage back to the pan along with the pasta sauce and stir.
• For the pasta: Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the rigatoni to the boiling water and cook until very al dente. Drain and spread out on a cooling rack to prevent sticking. Let cool slightly.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Add the rigatoni to a bowl and sprinkle with the Parmesan and parsley. Gently toss with your hands.
• Coat the inside bottom and sides of a springform pan with cooking spray. Begin lining the rigatoni on end (vertically) around the edge of the pan, creating a border. Pack the pasta pieces tightly, but not so tight that the holes in the rigatoni close. Toss the remaining rigatoni in the sauce, then pour into the center of the pan. Gently press the mixture to level it off.
• For the topping: Arrange the provolone slices in an overlapping spiral to cover the pasta mixture, then top with the mozzarella. Gently press everything down with your hands. Bake until the top is bubbly and golden around the edges, 30 to 35 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before releasing the springform. Serve topped with Parmesan, parsley and basil.

Steps:

• 1. While pasta is cooking, saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes.
• 2. Drain pasta and place in a small mixing bowl. Add onion and garlic mixture and mix well. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
• 3. Thaw spinach and drain well. (place in a strainer and press liquid out using a spoon)
• 4. When pasta mixture is warm, not hot, add 1 slightly beaten egg, and 1/2 cup grated romano. Mix well.
• 5. Press pasta mixture into a 9", well greased, spring form pan.
• 6. Separate the yolks of 2 eggs from the whites. Reserve the egg whites. Combine the 2 egg yolks, ricotta cheese, spinach, salt and pepper and rest of the romano cheese.
• 7. Spread the ricotta mixture over the pasta layer.
• 8. In a small mixing bowl, beat the egg whites just until stiff, not dry.
• 9. Fold egg whites into 1 1/2 cups pasta sauce. Spoon over spinach layer.
• 10. Bake at 350 degrees, for 50-60 minutes or until set. Let stand 10 minutes.
• 11. Heat remaining pasta sauce and serve with the pie.

Steps:

• In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until slightly underdone (I cooked mine for 12 minutes when the box indicated 14 minutes). One pound of pasta should be cooked in 6 quarts of water, make sure you are using a big enough pot so the pasta doesn't stick together. When done, rinse in cold water and drain again. Toss pasta with 1 Tablespoon olive oil to coat. Set aside.
• Heat remaining 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef. Cook, stirring occasionally until browned. Add garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook 2 minutes more.
• Add crushed tomatoes; simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.
• Toss pasta with Parmesan cheese. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Tightly pack pasta into pan, standing each piece on end. Spread meat sauce on top of pasta.
• Push the meat sauce into the pasta holes filling each one up. Stuffing the meat into the holes is a weirdly satisfying task. Enough said.
• Place in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top and bake another 10-15 minutes until cheese is golden. Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen and then unmold.
• Cut into wedges and serve with any remaining meat sauce you might have.

Steps:

• Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and garlic over medium heat until beef is no longer pink, 6-8 minutes, breaking up beef into crumbles; drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally., In a small bowl, mix cream cheese and sour cream until blended; stir in green onions. In a greased 11x7-in. baking dish, layer the spaghetti, cream cheese mixture and meat mixture. Top with shredded cheese., Bake, covered, at 350° for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake until cheese is bubbly, 5-10 minutes longer.

Steps:

• In a small sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Cook the onion and pancetta until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the peas and a few tablespoons of water, and cook until the peas are tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; set aside in a bowl.
• In the same pan, heat 2 more tablespoons oil over high heat. Cook the mushrooms and garlic for a minute or two, until tender. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter an 8- to 9-inch (20- to 23-cm) nonstick springform pan and dust it with breadcrumbs.
• In another small pot, make béchamel: Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat, stir in the flour, and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until smooth. Add the milk and bring it to a boil, stirring until thick, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Boil the pasta in salted water for 3 minutes less than the package directs. Drain and toss with the stock.
• Layer the bottom of the prepared baking pan with one third of the pasta. Dot with one third of the béchamel, sprinkle it with 2 to 3 heaping tablespoons Parmesan, scatter on all of the pea mixture, then scatter on one third of the diced cheese. Spread out a second level layer of pasta, dot with one third of the béchamel, sprinkle with 2 to 3 heaping tablespoons Parmesan, and scatter on all the mushrooms, ham, and remaining diced cheese. Top with the remaining pasta and any unabsorbed remaining stock, pressing down to compact the layers. Dot the top with the remaining béchamel, Parmesan, breadcrumbs, and remaining butter, very thinly sliced.
• Bake for about 25 minutes, until the pie is set and golden. Let it rest until it comes to room temperature before slicing.