Mercy
04-17-2014, 04:24 PM
Sometimes plans just do not come together. Yesterday should have been grocery day, the list was all made out, but stuff happens. No worries; we have been working on rotating out older foods from the pantry but it is not exactly empty. Not exactly full, either. We were at that stage where we have parts of meals, curry paste, but no bamboo shoots or ginger, elbow pasta but not the right cheese, breakfast meats/faux meats but no eggs. We find ourselves in the position occasionally and it usually turns into a fun challenge to see what we can iron chef into a tasty meal.
Last night it was baked ziti and garlic toast. Some diced onions were barely browned in some olive oil to which a bay leaf, a little kosher salt and some diced fresh garlic were added, followed by a heaping teaspoon of tomato paste. After the paste had a minute or so to brown a bit (it looks like burning but tastes like noms) before being deglazed with some vermouth. A tin of diced fire roasted tomatoes (Muir Glen if anyone cares) entered the pot with some fresh, dried oregano and dried red pepper flakes and simmered while the pasta was boiling. Before the pasta was finished boiling, the bay leaf was removed and the ragu was smoothed out a bit with a stick blender. Once the pasta was done it was drained then mixed with the sauce. About a half cup of grated asiago was added in then the whole thing turned into a baking pan and topped with a couple/few tablespoons of the grated asiago. Twenty minutes in the oven and we had nommy baked ziti.
The professionals usually say only boil dried pasta to just al dente if intending to bake in a sauce and the pasta will continue to soften as it bakes. They also say you cannot successfully froth warm milk but I know different. Unless the sauce is particularly runny and in excess, the pasta needs to be cooked to the state one wants to eat it. Pasta that is just al dente will try to soak up liquid from the sauce that will also be reducing due to the baking process. Barely cooked pasta and just enough sauce will result in tough pasta. If the sauce is particularly thick or minimal, add a bit of reserved pasta water.
Most bite-sized pastas can be substituted for the ziti in this entree and it is a great "make ahead" dish. Once it is assembled, but before going in the oven, it can be frozen for up to three months. As long as the baking container can handle it, it can go straight from freezer to oven, although the baking time needs to be extended a little. We are using foil baking trays in the toaster oven (waiting for new control panel for big oven to arrive) and they are great for freezing meals that will go straight to the oven. I would hold off on adding the cheese topping until baking time.
This was not our most creative concoction, pretty close to what I would have made if I had shopped with baked ziti in mind. I will try to remember some of our more creative endeavors but I want to read what brilliant meals our members have thrown together from pantry (or refrigerator or cupboard) odds & ends.
Last night it was baked ziti and garlic toast. Some diced onions were barely browned in some olive oil to which a bay leaf, a little kosher salt and some diced fresh garlic were added, followed by a heaping teaspoon of tomato paste. After the paste had a minute or so to brown a bit (it looks like burning but tastes like noms) before being deglazed with some vermouth. A tin of diced fire roasted tomatoes (Muir Glen if anyone cares) entered the pot with some fresh, dried oregano and dried red pepper flakes and simmered while the pasta was boiling. Before the pasta was finished boiling, the bay leaf was removed and the ragu was smoothed out a bit with a stick blender. Once the pasta was done it was drained then mixed with the sauce. About a half cup of grated asiago was added in then the whole thing turned into a baking pan and topped with a couple/few tablespoons of the grated asiago. Twenty minutes in the oven and we had nommy baked ziti.
The professionals usually say only boil dried pasta to just al dente if intending to bake in a sauce and the pasta will continue to soften as it bakes. They also say you cannot successfully froth warm milk but I know different. Unless the sauce is particularly runny and in excess, the pasta needs to be cooked to the state one wants to eat it. Pasta that is just al dente will try to soak up liquid from the sauce that will also be reducing due to the baking process. Barely cooked pasta and just enough sauce will result in tough pasta. If the sauce is particularly thick or minimal, add a bit of reserved pasta water.
Most bite-sized pastas can be substituted for the ziti in this entree and it is a great "make ahead" dish. Once it is assembled, but before going in the oven, it can be frozen for up to three months. As long as the baking container can handle it, it can go straight from freezer to oven, although the baking time needs to be extended a little. We are using foil baking trays in the toaster oven (waiting for new control panel for big oven to arrive) and they are great for freezing meals that will go straight to the oven. I would hold off on adding the cheese topping until baking time.
This was not our most creative concoction, pretty close to what I would have made if I had shopped with baked ziti in mind. I will try to remember some of our more creative endeavors but I want to read what brilliant meals our members have thrown together from pantry (or refrigerator or cupboard) odds & ends.