Cavatappi w/ Ricotta Cream Sauce and Mediterranean Veggies

Cavatappi Cinque al Forno con salsa di formaggio e besciamella Crema Mediterraneo Verdura

(Which is really just Baked Cavatappi with Five Cheese Sauce and Mediterranean Vegetables)

Ingredient List:

1 lb. Cavatappi Pasta (Corkscrews to some) Boiled

2 T. Olive Oil (approximate -I never measure

2 T. Butter

4 oz. Pancetta (or, if you can't get pancetta, unsmoked thick cut bacon)

1 medium onion diced finely

2 cloves minced garlic

1/4 c. flour

1 c. pasta cooking water (reserve one cup of the starchy water from boiling your pasta before draining

1 c. Cream or whole milk or Evaporated Milk

1 c. Ricotta Cheese

1/8 t. nutmeg

Wee bit of salt -less than a pinch

1/4 cup grated parm (more if you want a bit more of an alfredo flavor

1 28 oz can petite diced tomatoes

about 1/2 bag of frozen spinach well drained or use fresh spinach -will be a much lovelier emerald green

1/4 to 1/2 c. olives

1 can artichoke hearts quartered (and possibly cut them a wee bit smaller, if they seem larg-ish

*Mozzarella or Italian Five Cheese blend (I prefer the blend, but plain Mozz is cheaper* --optional.

*A few other good additions would be Shrimp or cannelini beans or possibly a white wine in place of the starchy pasta water

Heat your olive oil and butter over medium heat. (in the meantime get your pasta going). Saute pancetta until flavors and scent is released into the oil (I like to get it just a little bit crisp). Add onions and sautee until softened and fragrant. Add garlic, sautee approximately a minute. Sprinkle flour over top and allow it to cook a bit and pick up the lovely flavors -my onions unintentionally carmelized in the process and that just added to the lovely flavors and aroma. Add your pasta water and stir. Allow to come to bubble, reduce heat and allow to thicken. Stir in cream until mixed and thena add ricotta and grate parmesan directly into pot. Stir and heat through.

When sauce is heated, stir in vegetables. Drain pasta and add to sauce. Toss pasta.

You can serve it just like this with some freshly grated parm over the top. Or you can pour it all into a 9 X 13 inch casserole, sprinkle it with the five cheese blend and bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned in spots. Or you can do both -sort of. This makes a very large amount of food (we're a hearty appetited (lol -is that even a word?) family of six (though the babies are only 15 months) and it gives us plenty for two full meals. So you can serve it on prep night as is and then throw what's left in a casserole, top with the cheese, lay wax paper over the top and heat it another night as leftovers -and they'll never know the difference.

buon appetito! :D