Paccheri Cluster
Paccheri is the Italian name for this wide tube yet short pasta. When I saw the dried pasta in the grocery store, I had to have them. My imagination on how I might use them was ignited. I had this idea to create a vertical kind of lasagne – and that's how the Paccheri cluster evolved.
Ingredients | Serves 4
| 400 g | Paccheri pasta |
| 1 | Onion |
| 1 | clove garlic |
| 1 dl | tomato sauce |
| 250 g | Swiss cheese |
| Sprigs of | fresh Thyme, Rosemary and Oregano |
| salt and pepper for seasoning | |
| 1 bunch | fresh chives |
| Olive oil |
Preparation
- Bring salted water in a large, deep saucepan to the boil. Add the Paccheri and undercook by two minutes according to the cooking instructions on the packet.
- Pluck the leaves from the thyme sprig and finely chop the rosemary and oregano.
- Finely dice the onion and the garlic. Sauté in a little olive oil until soft. Add the tomato sauce and the herbs. Cook the sauce for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Preheat the oven to 180° C.
- Use a ceramic baking form and fill it with the Paccheri facing upright. Make sure the form is tightly packed.
- Spoon the sauce into the upright standing tubes, but not entirely to the top.
- Grate the Swiss cheese and sprinkle generously over the top.
- Put the backing form into the oven and let the cheese melt over for about 15 minutes.
Serve | Portion the Paccheri on the plates. Try to keep them together and upright like the cluster on the photo. Sprinkle with chopped chives.
