This is a hearty, rustic, warm-you-from-the-inside baked pasta casserole. It’s what to make when the weather report icons are snowflakes or thunderclouds. Mustard notes cut into the starchy goodness of potatoes and pasta. Dueling cheeses bridge all the components, and shredded cabbage and leeks deliver winter green. It’s the sort of thing you can prep a day or two ahead of time, then bake when convenient. The sort of food that pairs well with a stormy night.
Why I Love This Recipe
Let’s break it down a bit. The thing that makes this recipe special is arguably the play between the starchiness of the pasta and potatoes and the more intense bite of the mustard. You can, of course, adjust the amount of mustard to your liking. The amount note down below is straight up the middle. It’s neither meek or assertive once the casserole is baked. But keep in mind, the type of mustard you will also be a factor. What I’m trying to say is: feel free to adjust to your tastes.
You can see the chop of the cabbage in the photo up above. But note, you can cut it more finely if you like the cabbage to blend in more. Alternately, you might go with wider ribbons if you like the cabbage component more pronounced. You can see the pasta component below – before boiling and after.
Baked Pasta: Serving Ideas
This begs to be served alongside a big green salad. Something like this kale salad. Or, this Anna Jones salad is always a hit. If you’re up some something a bit unexpected and absolutely awesome, this cilantro salad is your move.
If a salad feels too ambitious, roast some broccoli while the casserole is baking, and do a roasted version of this Broccoli Apple Salad. This roasted broccoli is also always quick to disappear. And one last idea, if you have any kale chips on hand, I love to shower the baked pasta with them before serving.
Inspiration and Variations
Like most casseroles or lasagnas, this is a bit of a project. But, in the end, there is a good amount of food to enjoy, and the leftovers are great. There are also endless ways to tweak it.
- Kid-friendly: If you have kids, I imagine a version with macaroni elbows could work.
- Buckwheat Pizzoccheri: The inspiration for today’s recipe came from a buckwheat casserole I would make from The Martha Stewart Living Christmas Cookbook (red cover edition). She used a buckwheat pizzoccheri and savoy cabbage. The inspiration was likely the popular northern Italian pizzoccheri dish featuring traditional buckwheat pasta of the region, cabbage, cheese and a generous amount of butter. Her version is baked and has served as a great jumping off point over the years. You’ll see in the recipe that I call for farro tagliatelle, but you’ll have success with a wide range of pasta shapes and types. For example, fettuccine, penne, broken lasagne, etc. And you can experiment beyond farro – whole wheat pastas, buckwheat, spelt, they’ll all work nicely here.
- Shredded Brussels Sprouts: I like to make the Brussels Sprouts “Slaw” with Mustard Butter from The Essential New York Times Cookbook (red cover). I can imagine using sprouts in place of the cabbage here if you’re more of a sprout fan, or if that is what you happen to have on hand.
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