It’s been a whirlwind few weeks at work, with travel to such exotic locales as Des Moines and Dallas and a couple of nights of next to no sleep. Having started my career as an investment banking analyst, a role notorious for its neverending high pressure and many sleepless nights, it’s hard for me to imagine now how I did that for so many years. Maybe it’s part of getting older, or maybe I burned out a little too hard those first few years, but nowadays I need a lot of sleep. A few all-nighters will mess me up in a way that takes me a week to recover from.

That kind of stress and those extra-long days where I feel like I’m out of breath but actually am just sitting in a chair working as fast as I can always make me crave comfort food.  Especially pasta with melted cheese. There is something uniquely wholesome and special about baked pasta that fills a hole in your heart (and obviously your stomach). It’s like eating a hug.

In this latest bout of work insanity, there was no time for homemade baked pasta, but this is the one I was dreaming of. I made it a few months ago, and there are a lot of reasons to love it. First, of course, for its comfort. But just as important, it’s extremely simple – because when you need comfort food, you don’t usually have a lot of energy to put into making it. And last, it’s a whole meal in one. You’ve got your meat, cheese, veggies and carbs in one dish and I dare you not to keep picking the edges off after you’re done eating your serving.

I think it might finally be spring in New York. I feel like I say this every year, but this seems like the slowest-to-arrive spring on record, with every weekend suddenly turning 50 degrees and stormy. We have a beautiful new outdoor couch and rug on the terrace, some gorgeous purple flowers in full bloom and a grill just waiting to be lit. I’m looking forward to bring some grill marks to this space shortly. Stay tuned!

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Baked Rigatoni with Broccoli, Green Olives and Pancetta

Category: Main Course

Servings: Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
  • 1 1/2 lbs. plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 thyme sprigs
  • 1/2 cup torn basil leaves, plus 1 basil sprig
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 lbs. broccoli, cut into small florets and stems reserved for another use
  • One 4-oz. slice of pancetta, finely diced
  • 1 large onion, very finely chopped
  • 1 cup pitted green olives, such as Castelvetrano, halved
  • 1 lb. rigatoni
  • 2 cups fresh ricotta cheese
  • 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425° and butter a 9-by-13-inch ceramic or glass baking dish. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the tomatoes, garlic, thyme and basil sprigs with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes, until softened and browned in spots; let cool. Discard the thyme and basil sprigs and coarsely chop the tomatoes and garlic, reserving any juices.
  2. Meanwhile, on another rimmed baking sheet, toss the broccoli florets with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Leave the oven on.
  3. Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the pancetta and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and nearly crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the olives, tomatoes and garlic and the 2 tablespoons of butter; keep warm.
  4. In a pot of salted boiling water, cook the rigatoni until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 1/4 cups of the cooking water. Stir the pasta into the skillet along with the reserved cooking water, broccoli, ricotta, torn basil and 1/2 cup of the Parmigiano. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the pasta to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmigiano on top and bake for 15 minutes, until bubbling and browned on top. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

https://www.thekitchenchronicles.com/2019/05/21/baked-rigatoni-with-broccoli-green-olives-and-pancetta/