Five Cheese Penne by Kate Deveaux~Sail Away with Me

I’m a passionate cook and one of my very favorite recipes that I make all the time is mentioned in Sail Away With Me. I’d share more details of where it is in the book, but that would be a spoiler for those who haven’t read it yet J.

This recipe is one Jody just whips up, as I often do on busy nights when I want something yummy and easy to make. It is from my all time favorite chef Barefoot Contessa, from her “Family Style Cookbook.”

It’s easy to make and can be varied. I’ll throw in chicken or some mushrooms and vary the cheeses depending what I have on hand. I’ve made it so many times — I love to experiment with variations. I even freeze the leftovers and it reheats great.

 Mr. Deveaux loves this recipe, if only he knew how easy it was!

Ingredients

Kosher salt
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup crushed tomatoes in thick tomato puree
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano (1 1/2 ounces)
1/2 cup shredded imported Italian fontina (1 1/2 ounces)
1/4 cup crumbled Italian Gorgonzola (1 1/2 ounces)
2 tablespoons ricotta cheese
1/4 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced
6 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 pound imported penne rigate pasta
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

Directions

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Bring 5 quarts of salted water to a boil in a stockpot.

Combine all the ingredients except the penne and butter in a large mixing bowl. Mix well.

Drop the penne into the boiling water and parboil for 4 minutes. Drain well in a colander and add to the ingredients in the mixing bowl, tossing to combine.

Divide the pasta mixture among 6 shallow ceramic gratin dishes (1 1/2 to 2-cup capacity). Dot with the butter and bake until bubbly and brown on top, 7 to 10 minutes.

 I hope you’ll enjoy this! Think of Jody, getting that G&T ready for Taggart as she whips up something ‘hot’ for him in the kitchen!