Pasta Stuffing
Iain Bagwell
You’re about to make the Thanskgiving stuffing, and discover that your visiting family has eaten the bread. No time to run to the store, and no boxed mix in the house, so what do you do? Use pasta instead! A tradition in some Italian-American families, it’s delicious.
How to Make It
1
Preheat oven to 350°. Cook pasta al dente; drain. Meanwhile, crumble sausage into a large frying pan and cook over medium heat, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until well browned, about 10 minutes. Pour into a large bowl.
2
Increase heat to medium-high. Add oil and fennel seeds and let sizzle a few seconds. Stir in onion, chile, celery, sage, thyme, rosemary, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Sauté until onion is just beginning to soften, then stir in garlic and cook until onion is softened, about 10 minutes total.
3
Add vegetables and cooked pasta to sausage, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in eggs and parsley leaves.
4
Pour pasta into a shallow 3- to 4-qt. baking dish. Pour in broth (it should come about two-thirds of the way up the pasta). Sprinkle with Parmesan.
5
Cover dish with foil and bake on middle or lower rack until broth is mostly absorbed and everything is piping hot, 30 to 45 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to 450°, and cook until cheese begins to bubble and brown, 10 minutes more.
6
Sprinkle with chopped parsley if you like, and serve hot.
*Store-bought bone broth (or homemade stock) is rich and thick, making a tastier stuffing than ordinary store-bought chicken broth.
MAKE AHEAD: Two days, covered and chilled. Reheat at 350°, covered with foil, until heated through, about 20 minutes.
Ingredients
1 lb rigatoni pasta (the 3/4-in. length looks most like bread chunks—but really any pasta will work)
1 lb sweet Italian sausage
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 cups diced onion
2 cups diced fresh green chiles (Anaheim or poblano) or green bell pepper
1 cup diced celery
2 tsp roughly chopped fresh sage
2 tsp roughly chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp roughly chopped fresh rosemary
½ tsp ground nutmeg
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 minced garlic cloves
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, plus chopped parsley for garnish (optional)
3 cups turkey or chicken bone broth*
2 cups finely shredded Parmesan
Directions
1
Preheat oven to 350°. Cook pasta al dente; drain. Meanwhile, crumble sausage into a large frying pan and cook over medium heat, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until well browned, about 10 minutes. Pour into a large bowl.
2
Increase heat to medium-high. Add oil and fennel seeds and let sizzle a few seconds. Stir in onion, chile, celery, sage, thyme, rosemary, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Sauté until onion is just beginning to soften, then stir in garlic and cook until onion is softened, about 10 minutes total.
3
Add vegetables and cooked pasta to sausage, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in eggs and parsley leaves.
4
Pour pasta into a shallow 3- to 4-qt. baking dish. Pour in broth (it should come about two-thirds of the way up the pasta). Sprinkle with Parmesan.
5
Cover dish with foil and bake on middle or lower rack until broth is mostly absorbed and everything is piping hot, 30 to 45 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to 450°, and cook until cheese begins to bubble and brown, 10 minutes more.
6
Sprinkle with chopped parsley if you like, and serve hot.
*Store-bought bone broth (or homemade stock) is rich and thick, making a tastier stuffing than ordinary store-bought chicken broth.
MAKE AHEAD: Two days, covered and chilled. Reheat at 350°, covered with foil, until heated through, about 20 minutes.
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