Pasta Al Forno

This recipe comes from Peggy Knickerbocker, CUESA Board member and author of the San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmers Market Cookbook.

This is an ideal party dish as it can be made the day ahead of time and finished off in the oven for 20-30 minutes until bubbling hot. It is rich and delicious. Serve with a green salad and fruit for dessert, as it is rich and irresistible.

Serves 10

4 heads cauliflower, cut into florets
Extra /virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ bags penne
1 cube butter
1/3 cup flour
½ cup white wine
1 pint heavy cream
1 cup grated Gruyere or strong grating cheese
½ cup yellow currants
1 tin of anchovies, drained and roughly chopped
½ cup milk (possibly)
½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Handful chopped parsley
2 slices country bread, torn into pieces and processed in Cuisine Art
Salt and Pepper

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the cauliflower florets on a baking sheet and sprinkle with olive oil. Toss to coat and scatter the garlic over the top. Roast until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Season well, after roasting, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente, a little less well done than normal. Drain and set aside.

In a large pot melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Stir for about two minutes over medium heat, until the mixture starts to thicken. Add the wine and continue to stir. Add the cream and stir for another few minutes until the mixture thickens a bit more.

Add the grated Gruyere. Stir well. Add the drained noodles and stir. Then add the cauliflower, oil and all. Season again with salt and pepper. Add the currants and ½ of the anchovy fillets. If the mixture is not juicy and is tight, heat up ½ cup of milk and stir it in. The mixture should be not swimming in sauce but should be slightly runny.

Pour the mixture into a large baking dish and sprinkle with the grated Parmesan and roast or set aside in the refrigerator until ready to bake. Cover with foil.

Before you bake, combine the bread crumbs and the remaining anchovies and bake in the oven, until crunchy, 5-7 minutes (at 350). Stir in the chopped parsley. If you are going to make the dish immediately, scatter the toasted bread crumb mixture over the top. If not, store the bread crumb mixture in an airtight jar and set aside until ready to use.

To prepare to serve, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and bake the pasta, covered, until hot and bubbling. Scatter the bread crumbs over the top and serve from the roasting pan.