Penne Au Gratin Recipes

Steps:

• Cook penne in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (2 tablespoons salt for 6 quarts water) until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta-cooking water, then drain pasta and transfer to a flameproof 3-quart baking dish.
• Preheat broiler.
• Meanwhile, cook sausage in 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat, stirring occasionally and breaking up any large pieces, until no longer pink. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl, leaving fat in skillet.
• Add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet along with mushrooms and garlic, then cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are golden, about 3 minutes.
• Return sausage to skillet along with cream, reserved 1/2 cup cooking water, a rounded 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and boil over high heat, stirring once or twice, until thickened, about 4 minutes. Pour over pasta, then stir in Parmigiano-Reggiano, 1/2 cup mozzarella, and salt to taste. Spread evenly in baking dish and top with remaining mozzarella.
• Broil 3 to 4 inches from heat until golden brown in spots, about 5 minutes.

Steps:

• Bring the 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and add the penne. Cook for approximately 8 minutes, until just tender, and drain. Rinse briefly under cool water to stop the cooking if you don't intend to assemble the dish immediately.
• Bring 1/3 cup of water to a boil in a large skillet. Add the broccoli pieces, cover, return to the boil and cook for 3 minutes, or until most of the water has evaporated. Add the mushrooms, red pepper, walnuts and olive oil and mix well. Add the spinach, still wet from washing, cover and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until it is wilted. (At this point, the vegetables can be combined with the warm pasta, seasoned with salt and pepper and served with a little grated Parmesan cheese as a side dish.) For the gratin, set the vegetables aside while you make the sauce.
• For the bechamel sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour, mixing it in well with a whisk. Stir in the milk and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring with a whisk (especially around the edges where it might have a tendency to burn) until lightly thickened. Add the cream and salt and pepper, then return to the boil. Set aside.
• When ready to serve, mix together the vegetables, pasta and bechamel sauce and stir in the Swiss cheese. Spread the mixture into a 10-to-12-cup gratin dish. If the ingredients are still hot, place the dish under a hot broiler for 5 minutes, until the top is lightly browned. If some of the ingredients are lukewarm or cool, heat the gratin for about 10 minutes in a 400-degree oven until bubbling hot, then brown for 5 minutes under the broiler. If the mixture is cool throughout, place the gratin in a 400-degree oven for approximately 15 to 20 minutes, then place under the broiler for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• For the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper until smooth. Set aside.
• For the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.
• In a high-sided skillet, whisk the butter over medium heat until melted. Simmer until foamy. Continue to cook until the butter has a nutty aroma and turns a caramel color, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the pasta, dressing, arugula, tomatoes, Parmesan, pine nuts, and capers. Toss until coated, adding the reserved pasta water, 1 tablespoon at a time to loosen the sauce, if needed. Transfer to a large bowl and serve.

Steps:

• Boil about 2 quarts of water. Add penne and cook about 12 minutes until al dente (slightly firm). Drain and cool under cold water.
• Put cooked penne into a large bowl and stir in the ham, corn, peas, zucchini and cheese.
• Make the White Sauce:.
• Melt butter in saucepan, add the flour, and whisk it together until smooth.
• Add the milk and bring to a boil, stirring a bit. The sauce should thicken.
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cream. Let it cool until lukewarm.
• Heat the broiler. Add the sauce to the penne and vegetables, and place in a shallow baking dish that can hold about 6 cups.
• Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.
• Broil about 4 inches from the heat until the top is lightly browned (about 6 to 8 minutes).
• Serve immediately.
• NOTE: Pepin says you can make this ahead of time up to adding the Parmesan. It will keep, covered, at room temperature for a few hours, or up to a day in the fridge before finishing in the oven, so it's a great make-ahead dish. If refrigerated, just bring it back to room temp and bake at 425 for about 30 minutes.
• SECOND NOTE: Don't let this sit in the oven after it's finished or it will become gooey.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar. Drain pineapple, reserving 1-1/2 cups juice. Add juice to flour mixture and mix well. Stir in the pineapple and cheese. Pour into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. , Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover and stir; bake 10 minutes longer. Combine melted butter and cracker crumbs; sprinkle over pineapple mixture. Return to the oven for 10-15 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Steps:

• In a 4-quart kettle bring 3 quarts salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, 8 minutes. (Pasta will cook more when baked.) Drain pasta in a colander and rinse well under cold water. Drain pasta well and in a 2- to 2 1/2-quart gratin dish or other shallow baking dish toss pasta with zucchini, tomatoes, Fontina, and herbs.
• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Make sauce:
• In a large heavy saucepan cook garlic and red pepper flakes in butter over moderately low heat, stirring, 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and salt to taste and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until mushrooms are tender and give off their liquid. Add flour and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add tomato paste, milk, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste and bring to a boil, whisking. Simmer sauce, whisking, 30 seconds.
• Pour sauce evenly over pasta mixture and shake gratin dish gently to coat pasta mixture with sauce.
• Make topping:
• In a small bowl with a fork stir together bread crumbs and oil until crumbs are evenly moistened.
• Sprinkle topping over pasta mixture and bake in middle of oven 30 minutes. Cool gratin 10 minutes before serving.