Spring Pasta Verticale: Weekend Cooking Recipe

Ready for a lazy day in the kitchen whipping up a divine comfort food recipe?  Meet Spring Pasta Verticale (or honeycomb pasta as the cool kids would call it) – a grown-up version of mac ‘n cheese – oversized Paccheri pasta filled with cheese, bacon and spring veggies.  

On this blog, I almost always share recipes that are easy. Super quick. And amazing.  The recipe I’m sharing today is definitely amazing and relatively easy to make.  But quick it is not.  Let’s call this Spring Pasta Verticale perfect for Weekend Cooking.  Maybe you’re entertaining, maybe it’s just a lazy day.  You feel like spending a little quiet time in the kitchen making something fabulous.  If that’s the case, this recipe is for you.

What exactly is a pasta verticale?  Besides perfection?  It just means that we’re layering the noodles vertically… the ideal position for pouring in the sauce and letting the cheese drip down into every piece of pasta.  And, if like me, you go for the crunchy bits of a casserole, this ensures that every noodle gets that perfect golden crust.  Worth every minute of laying down the pasta noodle by noodle.

Spring Pasta Verticale (aka Honeycomb Pasta)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook noodles until just tender (about 3 minutes less than cooked through).  Drain, lightly drizzle with olive oil and set aside.  I do this in a colander that sits over the cooking pot so that it doesn’t make a mess on my countertops.

In a large skillet, cook bacon until golden.  Drain bacon crumbles on paper towels and remove all but two tablespoons of bacon grease.

Return the skillet to medium heat and add the chopped spring onions.  Stir occasionally, and once translucent (about 5 minutes) add the garlic.  Cook until fragrant, then add the spinach.  Stir until the veggies are all mixed together well.

Add the broth and cream cheese, stirring until smooth.  Add in the heavy cream and bacon crumbles and remove from heat.

Pour half of the veggie mixture into the bottom of the cast iron skillet.  Dollop half of the ricotta cheese over top.

Begin to layer the noodles upright until you fill up the cast iron skillet.  You want enough space that sauce can drizzle between and through the noodles, but you don’t want too much space that the noodles can fall over.

Once filled, pour the remaining sauce over top.  If you’re in a generous mood, pour a little more heavy cream over the noodles and sauce.

Then, dollop the remaining ricotta cheese over the sauce, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 35-45 minutes – until golden and bubbly.

Take a few peeks in the oven to see how things are cooking up…. it smells fantastic!!!!!

Once you’ve reached pasta-perfection, allow the Spring Pasta Verticale to cool 5-10 minutes before serving.

Spring Pasta Verticale

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ready for a lazy day in the kitchen whipping up a divine comfort food recipe?  Meet Spring Pasta Verticale - a grown-up version of mac 'n cheese - oversized Paccheri pasta filled with cheese, bacon and spring veggies.

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds Paccheri pasta (or less depending on the size of your cast iron skillet.  You could also use a large rigatoni pasta)
• 12 oz. thick-cut bacon, thinly sliced
• 3 large spring onions (or one bunch of scallions), chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 9 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess liquid
• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup (or more to taste) heavy cream
• 1 1/4 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Coat a large cast iron skillet with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook noodles until just tender (about 3 minutes less than cooked through).  Drain, lightly drizzle with olive oil and set aside.
3. In a large skillet, cook bacon until golden.  Drain bacon crumbles on paper towels and remove all but two tablespoons of bacon grease.  Return to medium heat and add the chopped spring onions.
4. Stir occasionally, and once translucent (about 5 minutes) add the garlic.  Cook until fragrant, then add the spinach.  Stir until the veggies are all mixed together well.  
5. Add the broth and cream cheese, stirring until smooth.  Add in the heavy cream and bacon crumbles and remove from heat.  
6. Pour half of the veggie mixture into the bottom of the cast iron skillet.  Dollop half of the ricotta cheese over top.
7. Begin to layer the noodles upright until you fill up the cast iron skillet.  You want enough space that sauce can drizzle between and through the noodles, but you don't want too much space that the noodles can fall over.
8. Once filled, pour the remaining sauce over top.  If you're in a generous mood, pour a little more heavy cream over the noodles ands sauce.  Then, dollop the remaining ricotta cheese over the sauce, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
9. Bake for 35-45 minutes - until golden and bubbly.  Allow to cool 5-10 minutes before serving.  

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