Gratin Dishes
Introduction
This entry is really a place holder for me so that when I am I looking for something to cook it'll give my memory a jog - "Oh yeah, them ..."
Gratin is French for cheese. No it's not! What was I thinking? Fromage is the French for cheese, and gratin literally means the scrapings off the bottom of a pan, the burned part.
Make sure to make enough sauce. It doesn't want to be sloppy, but too little sauce and the dish is a little dry and flavourless.
Ingredients
- Pasta of the shells, penne, macaroni kind. Whatever you like.
- Veges - anything really: mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli, baby spinach, onions (careful if they are strongly flavoured), garlic (lots!) etc etc.
- 1 or 2 cans of tomatoes - processed. Or buy crushed tomatoes.
- Cheese - paremsan, mozarella, cheddar (again careful because it's very fatty). One of these or a mixture.
- Herbs - your choice: basil, oregano or other that you like. Dried is fine, fresh is better.
- Spices: a little cayenne can be good and some parika to sprinkle on the cheese topping.
- Nuts and or seeds also to sprinkle on the top.
- Red wine - a little. Too much and it will overpower the veges.
- Olive oil.
- Salt and fresh ground black pepper.
Directions
Cook the pasta. Drain and set aside.
While the pasta is cooking lightly cook the veges in a pan with a little olive oil. Pour over the crushed tomatoes, add the herb(s), spices (if you're using them) and red wine and heat through. Season.
Turn the oven on to grill at 250oC.
In a shallow oiled baking dish add the hot pasta and then pour over the warm sauce and gently mix together. Sprinkle the cheese(s) over the top ubtil the dish is well covered, and then the seeds/nuts and the paprika. Put on a high shelf in the oven and allow to grill until the cheese is the proverbial golden brown; a state, I have come to believe, only achievable by professional food photographers with the aid of PhotoShop.
Serve with a salad and bread.
Variations
Source: moi
Comments