Penne And Cheese Gratin Recipes

PENNE AU GRATIN

Steps:

• Bring 2 1/2 quarts of water to a boil in a pot. Add the penne, bring the water back to a boil, and boil the pasta over medium heat, uncovered, for about 8 minutes. (The pasta should be al dente, firm to the bite.) Drain the penne in a colander and rinse it under cold tap water until cool, and set aside.
• Heat the butter and oil in a saucepan, and add the flour. Cook the mixture over medium heat for about 10 seconds, then add the milk, stir it in quickly with a whisk so the mixture doesn't scorch. Bring the mixture to a boil, and boil it for 10 seconds. Add the cheddar cheese, salt and pepper, mix well, then cook over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside.
• When ready to finish the gratin, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Mix the pasta with the cheddar sauce, and transfer the mixture to a 6-cup gratin dish. Sprinkle the tomato on top of the pasta and sauce. Combine the Parmesan and paprika in a small bowl, and sprinkle the mixture on the pasta. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes, until the gratin is bubbly and nicely browned on top. Serve immediately.
• Note: If making the gratin at the last moment, and assembling it while the sauce and pasta are both hot, do not bake the gratin. Instead, place it under a hot broiler until golden brown on top.

PENNE AND CHEESE GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Follow the package directions to cook the penne pasta; add the broccoli to the pot during the last 3 minutes of cooking time; drain.
• In a saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat.
• Add flour and salt to taste (I use 1/2 teaspoon).
• Cook, while stirring until blended.
• Slowly add half-and-half, stirring constantly; cook and stir until mixture boils and thickens; remove from heat.
• Add the cheeses; stir until melted.
• Add the penne and broccoli; stir to mix well.
• Spoon mixture into an ungreased 8-inch square casserole dish.
• In a bowl, mix together the topping ingredients; sprinkle over the casserole.
• Bake for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown on top.

POTATO AND CHEESE GRATIN

Steps:

• Parboil potatoes for 15 minutes until barely tender. Drain, peel them and cut into thick slices. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• With some of the melted butter, lightly grease bottom of shallow casserole. Arrange all of the potato slices overlapping in the bottom of a casserole and season well with salt and pepper; sprinkle with half of Parmesan.
• Arrange tomatoes over potatoes and season them with salt and pepper and half of parsley. Scatter mozzarella over tomatoes. Mix parsley with melted butter and season with salt and pepper and scatter over mozzarella. Top with remaining Parmesan and bake for 25 minutes or until all ingredients are hot and cheese is melted.

GARLIC POTATOES GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• In the prepared dish layer 1/2 of the potatoes, 1/2 of the cheese, then the remaining potatoes.
• Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic until fragrant and golden brown; pour over potatoes.
• Combine cream, salt and pepper; pour evenly over potatoes and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
• Bake in preheated oven for 75 minutes. Serve immediately.

GRATIN OF PENNE AND VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Bring the 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and add the penne. Cook for approximately 8 minutes, until just tender, and drain. Rinse briefly under cool water to stop the cooking if you don't intend to assemble the dish immediately.
• Bring 1/3 cup of water to a boil in a large skillet. Add the broccoli pieces, cover, return to the boil and cook for 3 minutes, or until most of the water has evaporated. Add the mushrooms, red pepper, walnuts and olive oil and mix well. Add the spinach, still wet from washing, cover and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until it is wilted. (At this point, the vegetables can be combined with the warm pasta, seasoned with salt and pepper and served with a little grated Parmesan cheese as a side dish.) For the gratin, set the vegetables aside while you make the sauce.
• For the bechamel sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour, mixing it in well with a whisk. Stir in the milk and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring with a whisk (especially around the edges where it might have a tendency to burn) until lightly thickened. Add the cream and salt and pepper, then return to the boil. Set aside.
• When ready to serve, mix together the vegetables, pasta and bechamel sauce and stir in the Swiss cheese. Spread the mixture into a 10-to-12-cup gratin dish. If the ingredients are still hot, place the dish under a hot broiler for 5 minutes, until the top is lightly browned. If some of the ingredients are lukewarm or cool, heat the gratin for about 10 minutes in a 400-degree oven until bubbling hot, then brown for 5 minutes under the broiler. If the mixture is cool throughout, place the gratin in a 400-degree oven for approximately 15 to 20 minutes, then place under the broiler for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

PRETTY DARN QUICK POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Butter an 8x8-inch baking dish.
• Fit a food processor with shredding disk and use it to shred cheese. Transfer to a small bowl. Fit processor with slicing disk and use it to slice potatoes.
• Put potatoes in a large saucepan with half-and-half, garlic, salt, and nutmeg; stir gently to combine. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Cook at a gentle boil, stirring often with a heat-safe spatula to prevent sticking, until half-and-half has reduced and thickly coats potatoes, about 8 minutes.
• Spoon into prepared baking dish. Smooth top and sprinkle evenly with cheese.
• Bake in preheated oven until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife and top is golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

SAUSAGE AND MUSHROOM PENNE GRATIN

Steps:

• Cook penne in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (2 tablespoons salt for 6 quarts water) until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta-cooking water, then drain pasta and transfer to a flameproof 3-quart baking dish.
• Preheat broiler.
• Meanwhile, cook sausage in 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat, stirring occasionally and breaking up any large pieces, until no longer pink. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl, leaving fat in skillet.
• Add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet along with mushrooms and garlic, then cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are golden, about 3 minutes.
• Return sausage to skillet along with cream, reserved 1/2 cup cooking water, a rounded 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and boil over high heat, stirring once or twice, until thickened, about 4 minutes. Pour over pasta, then stir in Parmigiano-Reggiano, 1/2 cup mozzarella, and salt to taste. Spread evenly in baking dish and top with remaining mozzarella.
• Broil 3 to 4 inches from heat until golden brown in spots, about 5 minutes.

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.

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.