Dorothy's Mostaccioli Vegetarian Pasta
Submitted by willymite
Vegetarian mostaccioli tossed in a slow-simmered crushed tomato sauce with Burgundy wine, walnuts, shallots, and fresh basil, then broiled under a blanket of bubbly mozzarella.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
50 minREADY
1 hrsThis is vegetarian pasta with real backbone. No wimpy marinara here. Crushed tomatoes get simmered low and slow with Burgundy wine, oregano, and chopped walnuts that add an earthy, toasty crunch you don’t expect.
Red peppers and zucchini are cooked separately to keep their texture bright and firm, then folded into the reduced sauce at the last minute so they don’t turn to mush.
The grand finale? Everything gets transferred to an oven-proof dish, buried under shredded mozzarella, and broiled until the cheese is golden and bubbling. Garnish with fresh basil and watch this dish disappear.
Chef Tips
- Reduce the tomato sauce uncovered until it clings to a spoon; watery sauce means soggy pasta
- Sauté the walnuts gently with the garlic so they toast without burning and release their oils into the sauce
- Cook the zucchini and red peppers separately in the microwave to preserve their color and snap
- Use a hot broiler and watch closely; the cheese goes from golden to burnt in seconds
Ingredients
Directions
Cook the pasta according to package directions.
In a large skillet or sauce pan: Heat the Olive Oil and the Sherry Pepper Oil.
Add and Sauté the Oregano, Onions and Shallots until almost translucent before adding the garlic and walnuts.
Add the walnuts and garlic.
Saute, without letting the garlic brown. Add the crushed Tomatoes and Burgundy wine and Basil.
Cook slowly over a low heat, uncovered.
In a microwave oven: Cover and cook the julienned Red Pepper for 1 minute.
Set aside. Cover and cook the julienned Zucchini for 2 to 3 minutes.
Set aside.
When the tomato sauce has been reduced and is the consistency desired, add the Red Peppers and Zucchini.
Heat the Broiler.
Drain the cooked pasta.
Add the pasta to the tomato sauce and toss.
Taste the sauce, adding salt and Crushed Red Pepper Flakes as desired.
Transfer the Pasta and Sauce to a oven proof serving dish.
Liberally, sprinkle shredded Mozzarella Cheese on top of the Pasta mixture.
Place under the broiler until the cheese melts.
Remove from the oven and garnish with the Basil florets and leaves.
Comments
