Best Penne And Vegetable Gratin Recipes

PEPIN'S PENNE, HAM AND VEGETABLE GRATIN

Steps:

• Boil about 2 quarts of water. Add penne and cook about 12 minutes until al dente (slightly firm). Drain and cool under cold water.
• Put cooked penne into a large bowl and stir in the ham, corn, peas, zucchini and cheese.
• Make the White Sauce:.
• Melt butter in saucepan, add the flour, and whisk it together until smooth.
• Add the milk and bring to a boil, stirring a bit. The sauce should thicken.
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cream. Let it cool until lukewarm.
• Heat the broiler. Add the sauce to the penne and vegetables, and place in a shallow baking dish that can hold about 6 cups.
• Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.
• Broil about 4 inches from the heat until the top is lightly browned (about 6 to 8 minutes).
• Serve immediately.
• NOTE: Pepin says you can make this ahead of time up to adding the Parmesan. It will keep, covered, at room temperature for a few hours, or up to a day in the fridge before finishing in the oven, so it's a great make-ahead dish. If refrigerated, just bring it back to room temp and bake at 425 for about 30 minutes.
• SECOND NOTE: Don't let this sit in the oven after it's finished or it will become gooey.

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.

PENNE AND VEGETABLE GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375° F. Lightly coat zucchini in olive oil and roast for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, 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 well.
• In a 2- to 2 1/2-quart gratin dish or other shallow baking dish, toss pasta with zucchini, tomatoes, Fontina and herbs. Pour sauce evenly over pasta mixture.
• Make topping: Preheat oven to 400° F. 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 for 10 minutes before serving.
• This simple yet delicious baked penne recipe can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen prior to baking. To defrost, put in the refrigerator 8 hours before baking.