Italian Pasta Pie Food

RIGATONI PASTA PIE (MARTHA STEWART)

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.

ITALIAN PASTA PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.
• Meanwhile, brush bread with butter. In 9-inch glass pie plate, line bottom and side with bread, butter sides up and slightly overlapping slices. Bake about 10 minutes or until light brown.
• Meanwhile, in large bowl, mix Swiss cheese, 1 tablespoon of the basil and the Alfredo sauce.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Add pasta to sauce mixture; toss to mix thoroughly. Spoon into baked crust. Sprinkle with tomatoes, onions and Romano cheese.
• Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until hot. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon basil.

RICOTTA PIE (OLD ITALIAN RECIPE)

Steps:

• Beat the 12 eggs, 2 cups sugar and vanilla extract together in a large bowl. Stir in the ricotta cheese and the chocolate chips, if using (see Cook's Note). Set aside.
• Combine the flour, baking powder, and 1 cup sugar together. Cut in 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in 4 beaten eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Divide dough into 4 balls, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease two deep-dish pie plates.
• Roll out 2 of the balls to fit into the pie pans. Do not make the crust too thick, as it will expand during cooking. Do not flute the edges of the dough. Roll out the other 2 balls of dough and cut each into 8 narrow strips for the top of the crust. (Alternately, you can use cookie cutters and place the cutouts on the top of the pies.)
• Pour the ricotta filling evenly into the pie crusts. Top each pie with 8 narrow strips of dough or cookie cut-outs. Brush top of pie with milk for shine, if desired. Place foil on the edge of crust.
• Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 30 minutes; remove foil. Rotate pies on the rack so they will bake evenly. Continue to bake until a knife inserted in the center of each pie comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes more. Cool completely on wire racks. Refrigerate until serving.

CACIO E PEPE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly spray an 8" springform pan with nonstick spray. Wrap bottom tightly in foil to prevent any leaks and place on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Mix Fontina, half-and-half, 4 oz. Parmesan, 1 Tbsp. pepper, and 1 1/2 tsp. salt in a large bowl that can rest on rim of pasta pot without falling in.
• Fill pasta pot with 5 quarts water and add remaining 1/2 cup salt. Bring to a boil and cook pasta 4 minutes shy of package directions. Drain.
• While pasta is cooking, place bowl with cheese mixture over pot and whisk constantly until cheese is melted, 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in ricotta, then eggs and 2 Tbsp. oil. Add drained pasta to bowl and toss to coat.
• Transfer pasta to prepared pan, pressing down to compact lightly. Pour any leftover cheese mixture evenly over. Using tongs or a fork, pull up a few strands of pasta so they form loops just above surface of pie (these will get browned and give texture to the top).
• Bake pasta until cheese is bubbling and pie is golden brown on edges and sides, 35-45 minutes. Let cool 10-15 minutes before removing sides of pan. Slide a thin spatula underneath and around pie to help release it from pan, then transfer to a platter or cutting board. Top with Parmesan, a drizzle of oil, and a few cranks of pepper. Slice into wedges and serve warm.

ADRIANA'S PASTA PIE

Steps:

• Crust:
• Mix crust ingredients gently to combine. Do not over mix. Put mixture into a lightly greased 10-inch pie plate. Shape meat to form a 1-inch thick crust.
• Filling:
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Mix filling ingredients and scoop into meat crust.
• Bake for 1 1/2 hours. Let pie cool for 15 minutes before cutting into 8 pie slices. Top each slice with Adriana's Tomato Basil Sauce and sprinkle with a little Parmesan.
• In large pot, cook garlic and red pepper flakes in oil on low heat for 3 to 5 minutes only. Add tomatoes, paste, water, all seasonings, and fresh basil. Bring to a boil and then reduce to low heat. Add the chunk of Romano cheese. Cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours stirring often.

NEAPOLITAN SPAGHETTI PIE

Steps:

• Cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but firm. Drain and refresh with cold water. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until browned. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a small bowl and let cool slightly. Wipe out pan. Whisk together eggs, ricotta cheese and milk in a large bowl. Stir in the onions, Parmesan, parsley, basil, salt and pepper. Add spaghetti and mix all ingredients together. Add a thin layer of olive oil to coat pan and place over medium heat. Pour in mixture and distribute evenly in pan. Cook until underside is golden, moving pan around on burner to ensure even cooking, about 6 minutes. Invert a large platter over skillet, grasp platter and skillet with oven mitts and carefully turn over. Lift off skillet and re-coat pan with a small amount of olive oil. Slide mixture back into the skillet and cook until bottom is golden, cover and allow the pie to cook all the way through till firm inside. Slide spaghetti pie onto a platter.

PASTA PIE

Steps:

• 1. 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.
• 2. 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.
• 3. Add crushed tomatoes; simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.
• 4. Toss pasta with Parmesan cheese. Butter a 9-inch spring-form pan. Tightly pack pasta into pan, standing each piece on end. Spread meat sauce on top of pasta.
• 5. 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.
• 6. 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.
• 7. Cut into wedges and serve with any remaining meat sauce you might have.
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PRETTY EASTER PASTA PIE (CROSTATA DI TAGLIOLINI )

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.

ITALIAN PASTA PIE

Steps:

• Heat Oven to 400. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.
• While pasta is cooking, brush bread with butter. line bottom and side of pie plate, 9 x 1 1/2 inches, with bread, butter side up and slightly overlapping slices. Bake about 10 minutes or until light brown.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350. Stir swiss cheese and 1 tablespoon of the basil into the alfredo sauce. Toss sauce and pasta. Spoon into baked crust. Sprinkle with tomatoes, onions and Romano cheese.
• Bake 15 - 20 minutes or until hot. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting. Sprinkle with remaining basil.

SPAGHETTI PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-3-inch cake pan with cooking spray.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook for 3 to 4 minutes less than the package recommends, so that it is very al dente. Drain and reserve.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the beef, 5 to 8 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Transfer the beef to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel. Heat the olive oil in the skillet over medium heat and saute the onions until translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the marinara, ricotta, parsley, eggs, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add the cooked spaghetti, beef and onions and toss to evenly coat. Transfer to the prepared pan, top with the mozzarella and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan.
• Bake until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve.