BAKED PENNE WITH MUSHROOMS AND CHEESES
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Valle d'Aosta
Preparation - Medium
Serves 4 - 5
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 lb mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
- 1 garlic clove, peeled, whole
- 4 T butter
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 10 oz penne (about 2 1/2 cups dry pasta) - you can also use mostaccioi, ziti, etc.
- 3 oz Bel Paese cheese, thinly sliced or cubed - or any creamy, mild cheese (Havarti, Fontina)
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 3/4 cup heavy cream or half and half
Sauté pan, oven-proof baking dish.METHOD:
- SAUTÉ the mushrooms with the whole garlic clove in 2 tablespoons of the butter over a high heat.
- ADD salt and pepper, lower the heat and cook for 3 minutes.
- DISCARD the garlic.
- COOK the pasta as usual.
- DRAIN and dress with the remaining butter.
- BUTTER an ovenproof dish and cover the bottom with a layer of penne.
- DISTRIBUTE about a quarter of the mushrooms and the sliced cheese evenly over the pasta and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of Parmesan.
- ADD another layer of pasta and cover with mushrooms and cheese as before.
- REPEAT until you have used all the ingredients, finishing with a layer of sliced cheeses.
- POUR over the cream, sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake, covered with foil, in a preheated oven at 400 deg. F. for 10 minutes.
- BAKE uncovered for a further 10 minutes, or until a light crust has formed on the top.
- REMOVE from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
