Baked Ziti with Mushrooms, Peppers and Parmesan
Food & Wine
Baked Ziti with Mushrooms, Peppers and Parmesan
Food & Wine
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3 large yellow bell peppers (about 1 1/2 pounds) 1 large onion 3 garlic cloves 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 1/2 cups heavy cream 1 1/2 pounds mushrooms 2 medium red bell peppers 2 medium orange bell peppers 1 pound ziti 8 scallions (green part only) 2 cups freshly grated Parmesan (about 6 ounces) Directions: Chop yellow bell peppers and onion and mince garlic. In a 3 to 4 quart heavy saucepan, cook yellow peppers, onion, and garlic in 1 tablespoon oil, covered, over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until peppers are soft, about 30 minutes. Stir in cream. In a blender, puree mixture in batches (use caution when blending hot liquids), transferring to a large bowl, and season with salt and pepper. Thinly slice mushrooms lengthwise and cut red and orange bell peppers into 1/4 inch wide strips. In a deep large heavy skillet, cook mushrooms and peppers in remaining 2 tablespoons oil over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until peppers are softened and most of the liquid is evaporated, about 8 minutes, and season with salt and pepper. Preheat oven to 375°F. Fill a 6 to 7 quart kettle three fourths full with salted water and bring to a boil. Stir in ziti and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water and drain ziti well in a colander. Rinse ziti and drain well. Thinly slice scallion greens. Into sauce, stir ziti, mushroom mixture, scallion greens, 1 1/2 cups Parmesan, reserved cooking water, and salt and pepper to taste. Spoon mixture into a 3 quart shallow baking dish and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan. Bake ziti in middle of oven until hot and pasta begins to brown, about 20 minutes. Serves 8 to 10.
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