Dec 11

Dec 11 Baked ziti alla "Norcina"

Today we are making a an Italian classic from the “Umbria” region. This simple dish comes from the little town of “Norcina” in the Umbrian hills, it is famed for it’s pork sausage, hence why this dish is their signature. But ofcourse we are making it vegan and because it is winter and who doesn’t love a comforting, hot and smoking oven pasta dish? It hits all the spots, creamy, decadent, filling and makes you want to go for seconds! This is also one of those dishes that is simple enough to make for a weeknight dinner but is also a true centrepiece for having friends or family over. Or since it’s almost that time of year, for Christmas!

Recipe

For 4 people

Ingredients

4 tbs of vegan butter (my ride or die; Alpro “bakken en braden”
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
500 gr of crumbled vegan sausage of choice (I used beyond meat)
300 ml of vegan white wine
400 ml of vegan cream, unsweetened, I prefer soy cream over oat
80 gr of vegan gondino parmesan (get it here)
150 gr of sliced vegan mozzarella of choice (this is my fav or make your own, I used this recipe from Bianca Zapatka
salt and pepper to taste
a pinch of nutmeg
400-500 gr of ziti pasta, you can sub for penne or rigatoni
fresh sage leaves for garnish

Instructions

Start by boiling some salted water for the ziti pasta.
Cook them half way, drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. TIP, save a cup of the pasta water to add to the sauce later on.
Drizzle with a little olive oil and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 170°C.
Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat.
Add the crushed garlic clove and fry until fragrant (1-2min).
Add the sausage and sautée until cooked through.
Remove the garlic clove and deglaze the pan with the white wine.
Leave to simmer for a few minutes to let the alcohol evaporate.
Add the cream and nutmeg.
Stir and simmer for another minute or so.
Taste and season and if necessary add some pasta water to thin out the sauce.
Add the parmesan and stir through. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Add a few spoonfuls of the sauce to the bottom of a baking dish.
Add half of the pasta on top and cover with another few spoonfuls of suace.
Add the remaining pasta and sauce then finish with the sliced mozzarella.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown and pasta is al dente.
Garnish with a few fresh sage leaves.
Buon appetito!