Whether lasagna or baked ziti or timballi, baked pasta is one of the most comforting delights. In honor of National Baking Day, we thought we'd present an alternative idea for one of the most popular ways to cook pasta.
This recipe for baked spaghetti with vegetables presents a new riff on the classic baked pasta preparations, resulting in a dish that's lighter than its counterparts but no less enjoyable as the flavors become noticeably concentrated when cooking.
The recipe is below, and you can scroll through the photo gallery above for a step-by-step tutorial for preparing the baked pasta dish.
Baked Spaghetti With Vegetables Recipe
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1½ cups vegetable broth
12 oz. spaghetti
8 small carrots with leaves
4 borettane onions
3 celery stalks
1 cup dry white wine
thyme
rosemary
extra-virgin olive oil
salt
Method:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Peel the carrots, keeping them whole and setting the leaves aside. Peel the onions and slice the celery crosswise. Brown the celery and onions in a large oven-safe saucepan with 3 Tbsp. oil for 3 minutes. Add the carrots, a few sprigs of thyme and rosemary as well as some salt to taste. Continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes.
Add the spaghetti and let it sit for 1 minute, then add 1 cup of white wine. Cook for another minute, then add the broth and salt to taste. Cover and bake for ⅔ of the time indicated on the package. (The pasta should be very al dente so it doesn't overcook during the baking phase.)
Remove from the oven and stir well. Return to the oven and bake for the full amount of time indicated on the pasta package. Serve with the vegetables. If desired, garnish the pasta with fresh thyme and rosemary.
Photo: Riccardo Lettieri, Styling: Beatrice Prada
This article was originally published in issue #1 of the La Cucina Italiana International print edition.