July 4th

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Rigatoni Pie

If you are looking for something fun and tasty to serve for dinner look no further! This impressive pasta pie is easy to put together and your family will be so impressed when you serve it.  I also made a wedge salad with homemade blue cheese dressing.  So good!! Hope your family enjoys this as much as mine did!

Rigatoni Pie

1 pound rigatoni
2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound ground beef
(I used ground chuck)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 can (28 ounces) good quality crushed tomatoes (I use San Marzano tomatoes.  If you can't find them just add a pinch of sugar to the canned tomatoes)
Butter, for pan
Salt
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces coarsely grated mozzarella

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until slightly underdone.  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.  The easiest way I found to do this is to spoon some meat sauce onto the pasta and using the back of a wooden spoon gently smash it around.  It does take a few minutes to get all the pasta filled but it will be worth it!

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.

Blue Cheese Dressing Wedge
2/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk (not lowfat)
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 clove of garlic, crushed
3 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
Kosher or sea salt

Place the sour cream, mayonnaise, buttermilk, lemon juice, crushed garlic in the bowl of a food processor.  Add the blue cheese last.  Pulse until combined, making sure to keep the mixture slightly chunky.  (Alternatively, stir the ingredients in a bowl with a wooden spoon or whisk.)  Season with kosher or sea salt, pulsing or stirring gently to maintain the texture.  The consistency should be thick but pourable.  Stir in more buttermilk if the dressing is too thick.

Spoon the dressing into a bowl and refrigerate for one hour or up to three days.  Remove 30 minutes before serving.

Slice one head of iceberg lettuce into four wedges and dollop dressing over top.  Sprinkle with crispy, fried bacon and freshly ground pepper.
 

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