Winter Baked Pasta

A week before Christmas break, when that time still seemed infinite, I made a list of the things I wanted to cook and bake during my eleven days off. Included were Molly Yeh’s pork soup dumplings, a Danish kringle, “something beefy with a side of grits,” braised short ribs or braised brisket or both (which was a line item separate from the “something beefy”), and Ina Garten’s Crusty Baked Shells & Cauliflower. I should have titled it Comfort Christmas.

On the morning of Christmas Eve, after an early doctor’s appointment and before heading to a socially distant, masked-wearing family gift exchange, I rolled out the rough puff pastry dough I had mixed and folded earlier in the week. Danish kringle is a pastry special to Jeff’s family, as his Wisconsin-born grandmother would frequently order and share a variety of kringle flavors around the holidays. When I came across a homemade version in Shauna Sever’s Midwest Made, I knew I had to try. It would be breakfast for me and Jeff on Christmas morning, and some pieces would later be delivered to grandma.

I made an almond and a raspberry version, and both were quite tasty enough to call the experiment a success. Though, in my never ending quest for pastry perfection I’d like to try rolling rough puff again, and shaping the oval kringles, as well as baking them to the ideal shade of gold, and working on the thickness of the icing. Perhaps next Christmas!

Later that week I got to sleeping in and completing 1000-piece puzzles and binge-watching The Queen’s Gambit. Jeff and I started eating “linners” at 3pm to cover all meals for the day. I checked my list and realized I’d made nothing else I’d planned, and I wasn’t even mad about it. Plus, the meat craving had been satisfied by our Zingerman’s Roadhouse carryout Christmas dinner of short ribs bourguignon, grits, and macaroni and cheese. But, I had bought all of the ingredients for Ina’s baked shells, and by mid-break I wanted to revisit my kitchen.

Our Spring Baked Pasta was one of my favorite meals of 2020, and I didn’t know I also needed a version for winter until I tried this cauliflower option. Lots of little hits of flavor — from the browned cauliflower, fontina cheese, sage, capers, red pepper flakes, and lemon zest — add up to one big punch of a dish. I happened to read some of the online reviews of this dish, and many people thought it was too dry. It was a little dry, but that’s why it’s called crusty baked shells. I personally loved the texture as is, I love that baking a small noodle leaves it a little brown and toasty, and I’ll save any desire for a cheese and sauce loaded pasta for my next plate of lasagna.

CRUSTY BAKED SHELLS AND CAULIFLOWER, slightly adapted from Ina Garten

You’ll need:
3/4 lb medium shells
2-1/2 lb cauliflower, cut into small florets (about 1 large head)
3 tbsp roughly chopped fresh sage leaves (though I used about 1 tsp dried sage)
2 tbsp capers, drained
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups grated Fontina cheese
1 cup fresh ricotta
1/2 cup panko
6 tbsp grated Pecorino cheese (or Parmesan)
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley leaves
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400.

Cook pasta al dente according to package instructions. Do not overcook it, as it will be baked later. Drain and pour into a large bowl.

Meanwhile, heat 3 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet. Add half of the cauliflower in a single layer and cook until tender and browned in some spots, about 5 minutes. Add to the bowl with the pasta. Repeat with the second half of the cauliflower.

Add the sage, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, 2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp black pepper to the bowl and stir to combine. Add the Fontina and stir to combine.

Pour half of the pasta mixture into a large rectangular baking dish. Scoop rounded spoonfuls of the fresh ricotta across the pasta. Add the remaining pasta mixture on top.

In a small bowl combine the panko, Pecorino, parsley, and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Sprinkle evenly across the top of the pasta dish.

Baked for 25 to 30 minutes, until brown and crusty on top.