Inspiration for living a luxuriously and balanced life

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Pasta Al Forno ~ Cooking with High Heeled Life

One of the many things I miss post Detour in Life is cooking, but with some help and the almost finished kitchen renovations- see the new floor I am getting back into the kitchen. David Rocco is one of my favourite celebrity chefs, and he is a local resident, so I decided to use a recipe from his cook book David Rocco's Dolce Vita. I chose Pasta Al Forno ...


Ingredients;
  • 1 lb (500g) Rigatoni pasta
  • 4 Tbsp. (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 large eggplant, cubed
  • 15 infornate olives or any black olives, pitted and chopped
  • 10 large sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 dried chili peppers (optional)
  • salt
  • 3 cups (750 ml) tomato puree
  • 3/4 lb (375 g) mozzarella cheess, shredded
  • Smoked scarmorza cheese, roughly chopped
  • Freshly grated Parigiano-Reggiano cheese, for sprinkling 
My helper for this recipe was RehabGirl ...
She was in charge of making sure I didn't forget I was coking , didn't burn down the house, or carry too much weight with my right arm ~ no more than 2lbs 
of carrying the water filled pot and getting the pasta going.

The Sauce...
In a medium sauce pan heat olive oil and brown garlic; make sure oil is hot before adding the eggplant, olives, sundried tomatoes and chili peppers. Saute everything until the eggplant becomes soft and is slightly golden. Add some salt and the tomato puree. Simmer 5-10 minutes or until pasta is ready.

Drain and return pasta to pot. Add all the sauce, mozzarella and scamorza cheeses.Stir really well.

Pour the whole thing into a large baking dish. Top with a generous sprinkle of Parmigiano and
bake 400 degree F. (200 degree C.) oven for about 30 minutes or until beautifully golden and crisp.

Finished Pasta Al Forno
serve with a Ceasar or Caprese salad
olive bread
and a nice red wine ...perhaps a Chianti ... Enjoy!

This was a fairly simple dish to make and
the clean up minimal (so good for the person who did not cook).

What your favourite pasta dish?

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34 comments:

  1. Yummy! I'm coming for dinner!
    Cute slippers too...lol.
    Seriously, looks really good.
    Hugs.
    Mary

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  2. Pasta al Forno is one of my absolute favorite things to eat. It reminds me of my grandmother and is the ultimate comfort food to me. Looks delicious.

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  3. If you can get back into the kitchen more, it might be another form of therapy for you.

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  4. That looks deliciously comforting. What is scarmorza cheese? I have never heard of it. I have also never heard of David Rocco. I will have to google them both!

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  5. Dearest Celia,

    Wow, that looks yummy all together. We both love Italian food and of course after we lived and worked for almost one year near Venice, Italy we are totally hooked. Most restaurant-chain Italian food however is not authentic Italian food. We are lucky for having a local restaurant 'Ristorante da Maria' where dear friend Maria from Bolzano, Italy creates yummy 5-course dinners.
    Love to cook Italian too.
    We have one more thing in common; the water cooler! Water is the only beverage for me; period. Never sodas or any of that!
    Your floor is great and a smart decision. Enjoy a great Friday and a happy weekend.
    Lots of love,

    Mariette

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  6. Well, I made rigatoni last night for supper too, but nothing like yours. Tasty!!! Thanks for sharing. Have a great weekend. Already following.

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  7. Where do you get Scamorza? I haven't been able to find it anywhere. I'm so hungry for some pasta al forgo, it looks deliziosa!

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  8. I'm following you from follow friday 40 and over. Nice to meet you, and have a great weekend. Hope you get a chance to stop by.

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  9. That is just so yummy!
    I am hungry now!
    Good sign :)
    Have a super week end!
    XO

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  10. this looks SOOOOO great! I love pasta and this one is easy and so delicious looking. hate to say it but i could eat the whole thing by myself- might have to make double for the family to have some too! LOL! visiting from the FFP recipe hop!

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  11. Oh I love pasta! Looks great! visiting from FF&P ;)

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  12. Yum! That looks delicious--Italian dishes are always my favorite!

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  13. We LOVE italian dishes in our house, mainly because, this is one thing I can cook...pasta!
    Visiting from over at Southern LIving: Preppy Style. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

    http://www.slpreppystyle.com

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  14. Oh yummmmmmmmmmy sista friend!!!!

    (love those slippers!)

    I am printing this for sure-
    Thanks for linking up and sharing the love! I appreciate that so much-so much!

    I hope you have a blessed/restful/peaceful weekend.
    Xo

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  15. Dear HHL,

    Thank you for the recipe.

    Looks great!

    Have a great weekend.

    Cheers,

    Coastal Blue Ocean

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  16. OMG this looks so good! You and I are on the same page today, huh? I am so happy you shared a photo even if I only got to see your feet... ha ha! I feel like I know you a little better. (You have great hair by the way)! Hope you have a wonderful weekend, Sweetie! xo

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  17. Great food and beautiful pictures. I'm visiting Follow Friday over Forty. Come join in the fun.

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  18. I make this all the time ! We love it ... I have been known to add the fresh summer zucchini when it comes out and turn it into something more like pasta with ratatouille on top :)
    Have a good weekend, Pup gets to go to the vet again !! we are considering renting a room there lol
    besos..

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  19. I've never really eaten eggplant, but your recipe looks and sounds delicious!

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  20. Italian is my favorite and that looks delicious and easy clean up sounds even better!

    Love your slippers, I live in slippers!

    Dropped by from Never Growing Old, Follow Friday over Forty!
    Lucy
    Lucy's Reality
    http://www.lucysreality.com

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  21. Looks fabulous! I love eggplant and this is one of the dishes I enjoy. I love pasta and cannot really pick just one favorite. That being said, Spaghetti alla Puttanesca is one of my go to meals when I have limited time to prepare a meal or have unexpected guests for dinner.

    Have a wonderful weekend!

    Hugs,
    Tracy

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  22. Yum! Looks great! I am visiting from the hop! I am your newest follower and would love it if you would follow me back! My most recent blog post explains how in case my blogger follow button is down! thanks so much!
    -Nikki
    http://chef-n-training.blogspot.com/

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  23. This looks absolutely delicious. I really love cookbooks, so will check out this one too. My favourite pasta dish is a plain tomato based sauce, with olives and gluten free pasta. I liked your suggestion about a glass of Chianti too - very fitting for such a meal. Fifi

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  24. Dear, dear friend,

    It is so good to see you come over to visit! AND YOU BRING ME SUCH treasures of comments, love and a plateful of my favorite FOOD!!! I love Italian cuisine and you are serving up what I absolutely love. Thank you for your visit and I am planning to relax and enjoy myself this summer! My students are always so wonderful and being a teacher, even with its challenges, is the best job I have ever had.

    BISES MA BELLE! Anita

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  25. Looks delicious. The new floor is gorgeous, anxious for the final kitchen reveal. What a treat to work in a new space!
    Bonne week-end,
    Mimi

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  26. Celia this looks so good, I am starving! I love your new floor too...you may like the dessert that I shared today :) Something to try at home maybe?

    xo,
    Nathalie

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  27. Angel, what a fabulous pasta and (if I looked right) vegetarian, so it seems the right one for me!!
    Looks so yummy dear. Did you enjoy doing it? I hope so.
    Thanks for sharing the recipe, I might try it.
    I like a vegetarian lasagna too. It's so tough sometimes here to be a vegetarian!!! Sometimes I feel like if I'm out of this world when I say I'm vegetarian with people looking at me and saying nothing but thinking, how is this possible.

    Well angel I wish you're having a fantastic weekend.

    Take care and be happy.
    Love and blessings
    xoxo

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  28. This looks so yummy. I don't know how to cook but I might try this one. Hope your weekend is going great.

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  29. It looks wonderful! Cooking is always more fun when you've got a helping hand! My favorite pasta dish is lemon linguini - yum!

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  30. Nice to meet you. My son makes a great pasta dish too I'll have to show him this recipe to try. It always tastes better when he makes it for me. :-)

    I'm following you from follow friday 40 and over. Hope you get a chance to stop by and have a great weekend.

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