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Pastrami Sandwich
Penne Rigate Della Kay
Remember the Roasted Tomatoes & Magor Sauce I made? You just have to! Seriously, your only excuse would be short term memory loss! Or at least a lobotomy.
I figured a special sauce like this deserves a special recipe, so I’ve wrecked my brain trying to come up with a recipe that would do it justice. Decided to just play it by ear. I threw in some extra vegetables, lots of pasta, sliced up really fragrant deli salami and topped it all with soft and creamy cheese.
In short, I turned it into a fabulous oven dish. It was every bit as good as I think it looks (she said coyly)!
Ingredients:
10 oz penne rigate
5 tbsp vegetable broth
1 pound broccoli
1 small zucchini
1 medium onion
pasta sauce
6 oz salami
pinch of salt
lots of cheese
small tomatoes
2 eggs
Directions:
Cook 10 oz penne rigate in salted water according to the instructions on the package.
Broccoli and zucchini, such pretty greens. Wash the vegetables and thinly slice the zucchini.
Cut or break the broccoli in small florets. I like working with my hands.
Chop a medium-sized onion.
I still had some tomatoes (from my garden) left, so I decided to add those as well and gave them a rough chop.
I love salami, in moderate quantities it really adds to pasta dishes. Salty and garlicky, it was a perfect match. I’ve cut about 6 oz (feel free to use more) salami into strips. I’m using thinly sliced deli salami rather than cubes because now it really sticks to the pasta. Kinda wraps around it.
Heat a tiny drop of oil, cook the onion for 2 minutes, add the zucchini and cook for another minute. Now in with the broccoli and cook for 2 more minutes. Pour in 4 tbsp vegetable broth, pop the lid on and simmer (over low heat) for about 5 minutes.
After those 5 minutes you add your chopped tomatoes, salami strips and stir in the penne rigate. Turn off the heat.
Chop a good handful of fresh basil (or whatever herb you want to use) and add it to the pasta as well. Transfer the pasta and vegetables to an oven dish.
Break out the sauce! You can use a commercial tomato & cream sauce for this as well!
Separate two eggs (sorry, I always do this with my hands), whisk the yolks in with the sauce and keep the egg-whites in a big fat-free bowl. Make sure there’s not tiniest speck of egg yolk in the whites or they won’t whip properly.
Add a small pinch of salt to the egg-whites and whip them until nice and firm.
As soon as you can draw peaks, consider the egg-whites done. I can only hope you have a handmixer! If you don’t; I’m sorry. I’m really sorry for making you do this.
Pour the sauce on top of the egg-whites and carefully fold it together. Be really careful or you’ll take out all the air and I’ll be forced to scold you.
Next, pour the sauce all over the pasta and gently mix it together. Top with a really generous amount of (melting) cheese. I’ve combined shredded cheddar with mozzarella.
Bake in a preheated oven at 400F (200C) for about 20 to 25 minutes. Until the cheese has melted and the pasta is hot. But don’t overbake or the pasta will dry out.
This was fabulous! I served it with garlic bread and a tomato salad. The roasted vegetables, mascarpone & gorgonzola infused sauce was amazing against the slightly crisp vegetables, the salami, the soft pasta and the copious amount of melted cheese. Definite keeper!
21 Comments »
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1. Yaara in Tel Aviv — August 17, 2009 @ 9:11 am
Ooh, this looks brilliant. Never thought of putting whipped egg whites in savory oven dishes — probably because I’m not much of a baker and breaking out the mixer seems so exotic to me ;)
Besides, anything with cheese, broccolli and onions in it has to be awesome…
*prints*
2. bricin — August 17, 2009 @ 10:08 am
hi kay,
not sure if you knew this already, or maybe there’s a reason you don’t do it, but using a metal spoon when folding together ingredients ensures you trap air into the mixture.
been following your blog for a few months now – really enjoying it. you’ve given me great ideas. :)
3. Kay — August 17, 2009 @ 10:22 am
@bricin:
Hey, I didn’t even know that! Thanks for the tip! :)
4. Saskia — August 17, 2009 @ 12:09 pm
Looks absolutely delicious Kay! I’ll definitely be trying this recipe out!
Saskiax
5. Lizzy — August 17, 2009 @ 12:44 pm
Oh I’ve been waiting to see what you’d do with that sauce! This looks amazing! Baked pasta dishes are the best.
6. Lana — August 17, 2009 @ 2:44 pm
Oh, yum. What a great, tasty way to get more veggies into the kiddies! They always seem to go over easier with lots of cheese. By the way, I also always separate eggs in my hands that same way.
Also — like your little 5-minute graphic!!
7. Erin — August 17, 2009 @ 3:57 pm
Oh my gosh! That looks delicious.
8. Janae — August 17, 2009 @ 7:07 pm
Oh, this looks delicious! I don’t know how you managed to take pictures w/ both your hands being used in those photos–a helper, perhaps? :) I’m just amazed that you can take incredible photos, as well as come up with fantastic recipes on such a regular basis! I’m a huge fan. :) Just made your Fish Pie yesterday–the kiddos loved it and gobbled up all those veggies (a rarity lately).
A few questions: When my 3rd mixer broke down, I finally resorted to a Kitchen-Aid–can I use a Kitchen-Aid to whip the egg whites? Also, what’s the reason to mix egg whites with the sauce? I’ve never tried that before.
9. Kay — August 17, 2009 @ 7:33 pm
@Janae:
Tripod and self-timer. A foodie can’t do without :)
Sure you can use a kitchenaid to whip them! The egg whites make the sauce lighter and fluffier. it really works. It also works great for lasagna.
10. Chris — August 17, 2009 @ 11:22 pm
That looks incredibly good! Mixing the egg whites and the sauce, I wouldn’t have thought of that. Bookmarking this one to try later.
11. Mae — August 18, 2009 @ 12:09 am
This is funny, I just thought this afternoon, while eating a ready made pasta dish from the supermarket, ‘this pasta is just not good, I want to make my own, when is Kay going to put on a good pasta recipe?” Well, here it is. Great!
12. Kevin — August 18, 2009 @ 4:43 pm
That looks nice and cheesy and good! I like all of the vegetables in it.
13. Simone (junglefrog) — August 18, 2009 @ 10:53 pm
That sure is one incredibly delicious looking dish. Great idea to add the eggwhites to the sauce!
14. PatW — August 19, 2009 @ 1:19 am
I always separate eggs in my hand too– less likely to break the yolks when you want to beat the whites stiff and it really matters! I’m so far unable to persuade my son to do it that way, though.
15. veggiebelly — August 19, 2009 @ 7:57 am
oh my god! this is sooooo my kind of dish! ive never used beaten eggs in a baked pasta dish….i cant wait to try this recipe. bookmarked!
16. BigKitten — August 19, 2009 @ 11:26 pm
This recipe is in the oven as I type, with a few substitutions. We’re not big fans of cooked broccoli or zuccini, so used Hot Italian Sausage Links (cute to bite size chunks). The local supermarket didn’t have mascarpone or fresh basil, so I substituted ricotta and fresh oregano. I know. Not the same. But I was very intrigued by the sauce and the folding in of egg whites. Wish us luck with the changes, but it sure smells delicious so far! :]
17. Marissa — August 20, 2009 @ 9:08 pm
What is tomato salad? simply tomatoes?
18. Sam@BingeNYC — August 23, 2009 @ 5:40 pm
It’s way too hot to bake ANYTHING in my apartment, but as soon as it cools down I’ll be making this! Looks like a perfect fall recipe. Yum.
19. Spruce Hill — August 27, 2009 @ 12:59 am
Oh my that looks so yummy! I love psta :)
20. Jackie — September 28, 2009 @ 5:46 pm
I made this yesterday along with your sauce and OMG it was to die for. Everyone loved it. The salami gave it an awesome taste.
21. Sonia - L'Exquisit — April 13, 2010 @ 2:24 pm
I cooked this yesterday and it was delicious! Thanks for the recipe …