Baked Spaghetti with Fresh Tomato/Basil Sauce

[kirra]

Baked Spaghetti with Fresh Tomato/Basil Sauce
Margaret Doran

Baked spaghetti with fresh tomato/basil sauce is a new take on the traditional family favorite. Chef Doran says that while you may wish to blanch, peel and seed the tomatoes, she prefers to prepare the sauce "in a rustic way."

Ingredients:

Sauce:

2 1/4 t. chopped garlic
2 to 3 T. olive oil
2 to 3 c. diced fresh roma tomatoes
Chopped fresh basil to taste

5 oz. fresh spinach, steamed, squeezed dry and chopped
12 oz. good quality whole milk ricotta cheese
4 oz. grated fontinella cheese
2 oz. grated Gruyere cheese
1 to 2 eggs, maybe more depending on the cheese and other ingredients you have
Enough heavy cream to bind all of the ingredients

Spaghetti Noodles

Grating of fresh nutmeg
Salt and pepper
Cayenne
Fresh basil
Fresh parsley

Preparation:

When making the sauce, put the olive oil into pot large enough to hold all ingredients going into sauce. Add the garlic and saute just until you can smell it. Add 2 to 3 c. of diced fresh roma tomatoes, depending on how many servings will be needed. Simmer the sauce until the tomatoes and oil separate. This will take a short time, maybe 20 minutes. This is supposed to be a fresh-tasting sauce, not a slow-cooked sauce.

Combine spinach, cheeses, eggs & enough cream to bind all these ingredients together.

To make the spaghetti, boil 12 oz. of spaghetti. Drain and set aside. Then toss combined ingredients into the cooked spaghetti. Pour into pan and cover with aluminum foil or buttered parchment. Bake until set.

To serve, put a square of the baked spaghetti onto plate and ladle sauce over. Top with basil and freshly grated cheese. Yields about 4 servings.