Solo Monday

Monday was my first day preparing for my big dinner on Thursday. Because I want my meal to be as fresh as possible, I have decided to purchase my ingredients the day of the meal. But I made a list of everything that I needed, and I pulled out a few boxes in which I put every cooking tool I needed into them. I also cooked something different, a weird variation on lasagna. It was a penne pasta lasagna, except the penne pastas were placed in a circular dish standing up. Then I poured the meat sauce into each pasta, then put a layer of ricotta cheese, then meat sauce, then mozzarella and parmesan cheese on top. My mom found this recipe for me and it was very interesting, fun, and simple to make.


Heres the recipe and instructions (taken from Martha Stewart):

Pasta Pie

Adapted from Martha Stewart

1 pound rigatoni

2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 pound ground beef (I used ground sirloin)

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 can (28 ounces) good quality crushed tomatoes

Butter, for pan

1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

8 ounces coarsely grated mozzarella

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.