NJ SPICE

Here’s the recipe I promised readers of my Princeton Packet In The Kitchen Column in today’s issue.  We made this in my October 10 cheese making class at Mercer County Community College, and it was delicious. Very, very rich.  And very, very delicious.  You get the idea. 

Rigatoni in Parchment with Five Cheeses

Adapted from Frank A. Campione

Six servings

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 cups fresh ricotta or one 15-ounce container

6 fresh sage leaves

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese (about 5 ounces)

1 1/2 cups shredded Fontina cheese (about 5 ounces)

1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1 pound rigatoni pasta (Barilla or Cecco)

Preheat oven to 475 degrees with rack in center position.  Fold six 26 x 18-inch sheets of parchment in half to form 18 x 13-inch rectangles. Using 2 tablespoons butter, grease center of each rectangle.

In a large bowl, mix ricotta and cream, then add thyme.  In a small sauté pan over very low heat, combine remaining 6 tablespoons butter with sage, heating slowly, just until melted, but not separated.  Set aside.

Cook rigatoni in salted water about 10 minutes, just until barely al dente (a little underdone is best).  Drain well and add to ricotta mixture, tossing to coat.

Place one parchment rectangle in front of you with a long side toward you. Place one-sixth of rigatoni mixture in a mound near lower right corner, about 2 inches from edges.  Sprinkle with one-sixth each of the Swiss, Fontina, and grated cheeses. Discard sage leaves and drizzle two tablespoons butter over pasta.  Repeat for next five rectangles of parchment.

Roll up each rectangle into a loose cone to enclose rigatoni.  Fold and crimp small end of cone, and fold over large end, placing each cone seam side down on a large backing sheet.  (You may need to use two sheets, to allow a little space around each cone.)

Bake cones about 8 minutes, until parchment starts to brown. Remove from oven and, carefully due to steam, unroll each cone and spoon rigatoni on individual plates.  (You could let your guests do it themselves at the table, but it’s messy.)