On Mondays, Kristen Swensson of Cheap, Healthy, Good swings by these parts to share healthy and delicious recipes with us. Today, a delicious baked pasta recipe.
Like every red-blooded American who cares about the exact crispiness of her roasted potatoes, the correct bean-to-meat ratio of her chili, and the precise inner temperature of her turkey thighs, I loves me some Cook’s Illustrated. Christopher Kimball is a bow-tied man-god in my apartment, second only to John Cleese and the guy who repaired our bathroom wall. Everything I’ve ever made from a CI cookbook has been at worst, very good, and at best, totally freaking outstanding.
I received their 30-Minute Best Recipe tome For Christmas last year, and can’t praise it highly enough. The meals actually take half an hour (with prep!) and there’s a wide range of healthier options, making it ideal for busy people with body concerns. (See: me.) One of my favorite dishes is Baked Ziti Puttanesca, a somewhat lighter version of their cream-heavy Baked Ziti. Briny, rich, and a little under 600 calories per serving, it’s definitely not diet food, but it’s still a fairly guiltless way to enjoy mammoth helpings of phenomenal pasta.
What’s nice, too, is the recipe’s versatility. You can sub in penne, rotelle (as seen here), or any other small-ish noodle that cooks in 10 to 12 minutes. You can chop the fat pretty significantly by reducing the mozzarella, Parmesan, olive oil, and olives. You can even cook it in a Dutch oven, which could prevent a lot of melted pan handles. (Er … not that I did that.)
Whether or not you decide to make the dish, definitely buy the book. It’d make a great Christmas present, and the recipient might even make you dinner. If you’re lucky.
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