Thursday: Baked Farfalle With Escarole and Zucchini

Pin It Now! It's vegetarian night!  (much to the hubby's dismay.)  This just sounded super tasty and I've never cooked with Escarole before.  It took me three stores to find it, but if you can't, you can just sub spinach.  I also splurged a bit and bought those delicious imported canned tomatoes, San Marzano.  It really does make a difference when you know the sauce is going to play a big role. (but of course, it makes the dish a little less budget friendly...worth it to me though!)  Make sure to keep an eye on the timer..some ovens will cook this faster than others.  Feel free to up the veggies too (extra zucchini, mushrooms, spinach)

Ingredients  (recipe from Food Network)

• Kosher salt
• 1 pound farfalle
• 2 tablespoons extra-virigin olive oil, plus more for brushing
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes
• 1 15-ounce can plum tomatoes
• 4 large sprigs basil, plus 1 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 1/2 cups chopped escarole, sauteed
• 1 1/2 cups sliced zucchini, sauteed
• 3 cups shredded Italian fontina cheese
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the farfalle until very al dente, 2 to 3 minutes less than the label directs; drain.

Meanwhile, make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until the garlic is golden. Crush the plum tomatoes into the skillet with your hands; rinse out each can with 1/2 cup water and add the water to the skillet. Add the basil sprigs; simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is thickened, 15 minutes. Discard the basil; season the sauce with salt. (Alternatively, heat 4 cups prepared tomato sauce.)

Stir the chopped basil and parsley into the sauce, then add the escarole and zucchini.

Brush a 3-to-4-quart baking dish with olive oil. Toss the cooked pasta with the sauce and half of each cheese. Spread in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the pasta. Bake, uncovered, until browned, about 15 minutes. Let rest 15 minutes before serving.