Penne And Cheese Gratin Food

THREE-CHEESE POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Butter a 2-quart glass or ceramic baking dish.
• Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until tender and golden, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and stir 1 minute. Add the cream, broth, rosemary, salt and pepper. Remove the pan from the heat.
• Mix all the grated cheeses together in a medium bowl.
• Mix the yams and potatoes together in a medium bowl.
• Arrange one-third of the potato mixture in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with one-third of the cheese mixture. Repeat the layers twice more ending with a layer of the cheese mixture. Pour the cream mixture over the layers and cover the pan with foil.
• Bake the gratin until the potatoes are almost tender, about 45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the potatoes are tender and golden on top, 20 to 25 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and let the gratin rest, 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley, if using, and serve.

PENNE AU GRATIN

Steps:

• Bring 2 1/2 quarts of water to a boil in a pot. Add the penne, bring the water back to a boil, and boil the pasta over medium heat, uncovered, for about 8 minutes. (The pasta should be al dente, firm to the bite.) Drain the penne in a colander and rinse it under cold tap water until cool, and set aside.
• Heat the butter and oil in a saucepan, and add the flour. Cook the mixture over medium heat for about 10 seconds, then add the milk, stir it in quickly with a whisk so the mixture doesn't scorch. Bring the mixture to a boil, and boil it for 10 seconds. Add the cheddar cheese, salt and pepper, mix well, then cook over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside.
• When ready to finish the gratin, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Mix the pasta with the cheddar sauce, and transfer the mixture to a 6-cup gratin dish. Sprinkle the tomato on top of the pasta and sauce. Combine the Parmesan and paprika in a small bowl, and sprinkle the mixture on the pasta. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes, until the gratin is bubbly and nicely browned on top. Serve immediately.
• Note: If making the gratin at the last moment, and assembling it while the sauce and pasta are both hot, do not bake the gratin. Instead, place it under a hot broiler until golden brown on top.

PENNE AND CHEESE GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Follow the package directions to cook the penne pasta; add the broccoli to the pot during the last 3 minutes of cooking time; drain.
• In a saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat.
• Add flour and salt to taste (I use 1/2 teaspoon).
• Cook, while stirring until blended.
• Slowly add half-and-half, stirring constantly; cook and stir until mixture boils and thickens; remove from heat.
• Add the cheeses; stir until melted.
• Add the penne and broccoli; stir to mix well.
• Spoon mixture into an ungreased 8-inch square casserole dish.
• In a bowl, mix together the topping ingredients; sprinkle over the casserole.
• Bake for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown on top.

SAUSAGE AND MUSHROOM PENNE GRATIN

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 paper-toweled plate, 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.
• Serve with a green salad and nice bottle of wine!

GRATIN OF PENNE, TURKEY, AND MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Position rack in top third of oven; preheat to 350°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots; sauté 1 minute. Add mushrooms and thyme; sauté until mushrooms are tender and dark brown, about 12 minutes. Add pasta, gravy, 1 cup cheese, and cream to mushroom mixture; stir to blend. Mix in turkey. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake gratin until sauce is bubbling around edges and tips of pasta are golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes and serve.

GRATIN OF PENNE AND VEGETABLES

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.

PENNE AND VEGETABLE GRATIN

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.