Pasta Pie. New Song From Tim Noyes.

This is the most excited about a dinner I have been in ages.

Pasta Pie.

Just look at it!

I loved the presentation. All of those upright rigatonis made me smile.

So, if you like cheesy pasta in meat sauce then you will certainly be a fan of this dressed up version.

The recipe is super easy. I must add that there is a touch of tedium involved. First, standing up all of those rigatonis one by one and then stuffing each tube with the meat sauce. Be sure to have on some music you really love.

Pasta Pie

Ingredients:

1 pound rigatoni
2 Tbs olive oil, divided
1 pound ground beef
2 garlic gloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
Butter, for pan
Salt
1 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
8 ounces grated mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until slightly underdone (about 2 minutes less than the package suggests).

2. Toss drained pasta with 1 tablespoon olive oil to coat. Set aside.

3. Heat remaining tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef. Cook, stirring occasionally until browned. Add garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook 2 minutes longer. Add crushed tomatoes; simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.

4. Toss pasta with Parmesan cheese. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Tightly pack pasta into pan, standing each piece on end.

5. Spread meat sauce on top of pasta. Push the meat sauce into the pasta holes filling each one up. (I used a chopstick to help with getting the meat inside the pasta.)

6. Place pasta pie in a 400℉ oven for 15 minutes.

7. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top and bake another 10-15 minutes until cheese is golden.

8. Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes.

9. Run a knife around the edge of pie to loosen and then unmold.

10. Cut into wedges and serve.

Serves 8 to 10

Recipe from Martha Stewart via Noble Pig

Tim Noyes, frontman of the band Aunt Martha, has a solo album coming out on February 19th.

‘Patterns’ is everything you would expect from Tim…the heartfelt lyrics, lovely voice, a song that creates an atmosphere. What is different is the less folk feel and an injection of synth.

Really good.