Baked Rigatoni with Broccoli, Green Olives and Pancetta

Recipe from a Food and Wine Twitter post 3/15/14

Instead of using tomato sauce, Hugh Acheson makes his version of baked ziti with intensely sweet roasted tomatoes.

Slideshow: Baked Pasta Dishes

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
• 1 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 1/2 cup torn basil leaves, plus 1 basil sprig
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 pounds broccoli, cut into small florets and stems reserved for another use
  • One 4-ounce slice of pancetta, finely diced
  • 1 large onion, very finely chopped
  • 1 cup pitted green olives, such as Castelvetrano, halved
  • 1 pound rigatoni
  • 2 cups fresh ricotta cheese
  • 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

  DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 425° and butter a 9-by-13-inch ceramic or glass baking dish. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the tomatoes, garlic, thyme and basil sprigs with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes, until softened and browned in spots; let cool. Discard the thyme and basil sprigs and coarsely chop the tomatoes and garlic, reserving any juices.
  2. Meanwhile, on another rimmed baking sheet, toss the broccoli florets with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Leave the oven on.
  3. Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the pancetta and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and nearly crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the olives, tomatoes and garlic and the 2 tablespoons of butter; keep warm.
  4. In a pot of salted boiling water, cook the rigatoni until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 1/4 cups of the cooking water. Stir the pasta into the skillet along with the reserved cooking water, broccoli, ricotta, torn basil and 1/2 cup of the Parmigiano. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the pasta to the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmigiano on top and bake for 15 minutes, until bubbling and browned on top. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
     Make Ahead

     The baked pasta can be refrigerated overnight.