Using the diverse cultures and foods of Astoria, NY to feed one man's imagination in the kitchen.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Baked sausage & spinach pasta with goat cheese bechamel

Still have some left over sausage and spinach pasta soup. Wanted to do a more fattening richer dish because hey, it would make my wife happy. Thought about a bechamel but we are a bit lactose fearful. How to do a richer dish without cream? A soy milk based bechamel! Yeah, go on and bitch, I am not a fan of soy but as a hidden ingredient it can work just fine. And NO I am not a Birkenstock wearing Moosewood cookbook carrying tree hugger. I am a big jolly carnivoris chef, ask anyone.

Maybe take the soup part amd some soy, make a bechamel and add goat cheese to create a smooth creamy sauce. Mix with the pasta, sausage and spinach then top with parm cheese and bread crumbs. Bake and see how it turns out. I think this might work.
Baked sausage & spinach pasta with goat cheese bechamel
6 cups left over pasta dish. Feel free to saute more sausage, I did.
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup flour
2 cups left over soup, chicken stock or veg stock.
2 cups soy milk, regular milk or water. Whatever works for you.
1 cup soft goat cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup bread crumbs

Grease bottom of casserole dish and pour in pasta. Preheat oven to 350F.
Heat sauce pan and melt butter. Then add flour and whisk till blond.
Add soup and soy milk. Bring to boil while whisking.
Lower heat and continue whisking till thickened and smooth.
Add goat cheese and 1/4 cup parmesan, whisk in.
Adjust taste with ground pepper and rosemary salt ( salt and some rosemary chopped or dry).
Pour some bechamel over pasta and mix in. Pour some more over the pasta so the dish is wet.
Sprinkle bread crumbs on top followed by the remaining Parmesan cheese.
Reserve extra bechamel for another use.

Into oven for 30 minutes to cook and brown top. Let sit out of oven for 15 minutes to set.
Enjoy and pat that belly when finished. You did a good job tonight.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

oh lord! now i usually run away from creamy sauces but tell me you put cheese in there- no- GOAT CHEESE- and i'm all over it!!!

jim morrison said...

Hey man, sounds like a great dish for Pinot Grigio, but not just any Pinot Grigio! For god sakes your average Pinot Grigio would be crushed and tossed aside like a rag doll by such a dish. Try Elena Walch Castel Ringberg Pinot Grigio, on the order of Grand Cru wine, my friend . I guarantee you have never had anything like this before. There's a fullness of body, and penetration and persistence of flavor that can only be accomplished by uncompromising viniculture.

Meg said...

That looks amazing!