Rigatoni Stuffed With Chicken And Fennel Food

BAKED RIGATONI WITH BECHAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Bechamel sauce:
• In a 2 quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth, about 2 minutes. Always stirring, gradually add the milk and continue to whisk until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Simmer until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. This will take approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in nutmeg, 1/2 cup fontina, prosciutto and season with salt and white pepper. Set aside.
• In a large pot, bring to a boil 6 quarts of salted water. Add the rigatoni and cook for about 5 minutes. Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure the inside is still hard. Drain in a colander. Return pasta to the pot and pour in bechamel sauce. Using a wooden spoon, mix well until all the pasta is coated with the sauce.
• Into a greased 13 by 9-inch baking dish, pour the pasta with cream sauce. Smooth out top and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup fontina. Dot the top with diced butter and bake in oven for 25 minutes or until bubbling and the top is golden brown.

RIGATONI STUFFED WITH CHICKEN AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Cook rigatoni in a large pot of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain well in a colander, shaking vigorously. Cool on an oiled cookie sheet or clean countertop until nearly dry and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil to coat. Reserve.
• Puree chicken, fennel, and egg white in a food processor until smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl nested inside a larger bowl half-filled with iced water. Stir until evenly chilled.
• Add cream, a 1/4 cup at a time, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon after each addition, until all is added. Stir in salt, pepper, and hot sauce. (At this stage, the stuffing can be stored in refrigerator up to 24 hours.)
• To stuff rigatoni, fill a pastry bag fitted with a #4 plain tip with chicken mixture and stuff rigatoni from both ends. Reserve.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• To make sauce, combine cream, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper in a medium ovenproof skillet. Bring to a boil. Add stuffed rigatoni, return to a boil, then transfer to oven. Bake until sauce is thick and bubbly, and rigatoni is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
• Spoon into serving bowls or plates, sprinkle with chives, and serve hot.

RIGATONI WITH SAUSAGE & FENNEL

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, over medium heat. Add the fennel and onion and saute for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add the sausage and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, crumbling it with a fork, until nicely browned. Add the garlic, crushed fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper and cook for one minute. Pour in the wine, bring to a boil, and add the heavy cream, half-and-half, and tomato paste. Bring back to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 2 tablespoons salt, and cook the rigatoni according to the directions on the package. Drain and add to the sauce, stirring to coat the pasta. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes to allow the pasta to absorb the sauce. Off the heat, stir in the parsley and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan. Serve hot in shallow bowls with the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan on the side.

RIGATONI WITH CHICKEN AND BELL PEPPERS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until golden, about 30 seconds. Add the onion, bell peppers and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until softened, about 7 minutes.
• Add the chicken, basil, pasta and the reserved cooking water to the tomato sauce. Cook, stirring, until warmed through, about 4 minutes. Drizzle each serving with olive oil and top with basil and the cherry peppers.