Farmer's Pasta
Farmer's Past From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes. If you have fontina cheese, olive oil, mozzarella cheese, and a few other ingredients on hand, you can make it. To use up the butter you could follow this main course with the Cinnamon Butter Cake as a dessert.
Instructions
Butter a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat.
Add the pancetta and saute until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a small bowl.
Pour off all but 1/4 cup of the pan drippings (if necessary, add more oil to the pan drippings to equal 1/4 cup total). Reduce the heat to medium.
Add 3 teaspoons of garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the flour and whisk for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 5 minutes. Gradually whisk in all the Fontina, mozzarella, Parmesan, and provolone cheeses.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Add the rigatoni and cook until almost al dente, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. (The pasta will continue cooking in the oven.)
Drain pasta and add directly into the cheese.
Add the parsley, basil, and pancetta and toss to coat. Season the pasta mixture, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared dish.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat.
Add the remaining garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the bread crumbs and toss to coat.
Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the pasta mixture.
Drizzle the top with extra-virgin olive oil and bake until the sauce bubbles and the bread crumbs are golden brown, about 20 minutes.