As winter melts into spring each year and Easter approaches, I am usually thinking about what meatless meals I can prepare in observance of Lenten custom.
Lobster tails and jumbo lump crabcakes are great for date night at your favorite restaurant. But what about family dinners? You aren’t reaching for that box of Kraft macaroni and cheese, are you?
When I was growing up, we certainly had some interesting Lenten meals. Top of the list was lentils. Not lentil soup or lentil salad. Just boiled lentils with olive oil drizzled on top and occasionally some elbow macaroni mixed in. We had tuna salad (not too bad) and salmon cakes (OK if stewed tomatoes came along.)
Regular readers of this column know that I often turn to my favorite Italian “celebrity” chefs for ideas and help with recipes. One of these is Lidia Bastianich. While Lidia has owned some high-end Italian restaurants in her long culinary history, she remains what I would call a humble and homespun cook. She cooks with love and joy and emphasizes the role that food plays in building bonds with family and friends. She describes many of her dishes as “easy, nutritious, seasonal and economical.” Lidia doesn’t waste anything either!
For Lent, her baked ditalini is exactly what I was looking for—total comfort food for early spring days that have not yet lost their chill. She calls it a “pasta pudding,” certainly tempting to little ones in your family. And it’s a perfect meatless meal solution.
As a preliminary note: Ditalini is a small pasta that is often used in soup. It is shaped like a thimble and can be found in two sizes depending on the brand. It is worth looking for. I try to buy a box whenever I find it.
BAKED DITALINI
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons dried breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt (plus more for the pasta pot)
- 1 pound of ditalini
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups frozen peas, thawed and drained (I like baby peas)
- 1½ cups freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Butter a 4-quart baking dish and coat with breadcrumbs.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the ditalini and cook until al dente. Drain in a colander and shake to remove excess water.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and salt.
- Slowly add the cream and milk and whisk until smooth.
- Stir in the cooked pasta, peas and a cup of the grated cheese.
- Spread the mixture into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining cup of grated cheese.
- Bake until the custard is set, about 40 minutes. Let rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
This dish really calls for a fresh green salad. I like romaine lettuce with some spicy arugula thrown in and definitely tomatoes (cherry and grape tomatoes are nice this time of year). Dress the salad simply with an oil and vinegar vinaigrette. Simple is best with this dish. No bread or rolls are needed either.
I hope you find this baked pasta a nice change from your usual mac and cheese. For me, it’s also a great way to sneak in some peas, which TheBurg readers know I love!
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