PENNE WITH 5 CHEESES ALA BAREFOOT CONTESSA - INA GARTEN

Penne With 5 Cheeses Ala Barefoot Contessa - Ina Garten image

Provided by Lennie

Categories Penne

Time 20m

Yield 6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 10

1 lb penne
2 cups cream
1 cup crushed tomatoes (from a can)
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (or romano)
2 -4 tablespoons gorgonzola, crumbled
2 tablespoons ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated fontina
1/4 lb mozzarella cheese (as fresh as possible)
1/4 cup slivered fresh basil leaf
6 teaspoons butter (approximate, butter is to taste)

Steps:

Preheat oven to 500°F.
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook penne for just 4 minutes (or until barely al dente, as it will cook more in the oven); drain well.
Meanwhile, in a very large mixing bowl, combine the cream, crushed tomatoes, cheeses and basil.
On the show, very fresh buffalo mozzarella was used, and it was cut into slices and then slivered (much like a julienne); I'm sure shredded mozzarella would work just fine.
Add cooked, drained penne to sauce and stir well.
On the show, individual shallow serving dishes were filled with the pasta; I'm sure this could be done in a shallow casserole dish too, such as a 13x9 pan.
Either fill individual dishes with pasta, as above, or fill an entire shallow dish, then dot butter over surface in small pieces.
Bake in preheated oven for 7 to 10 minutes, until top is browned.
On the show, the individual dishes were then refrigerated, uncovered, so that they could be reheated later in the evening; unfortunately, no information was given as to how the dish should be reheated (oven temp, time, etc) so, really, your guess is as good as mine.