RFCJ RECIPE ARCHIVE
Posted by : Ruth Heiges Cheese Thing - dairy
I haven't made this, though I'm sorely tempted. Frankly, the amount of fat puts me off. I offer it to y'all, though, since it impresses me as great winter "comfort food" and is so easy to put together. I also love the utter sophistication of the name. Between the title and the second serving suggestion, someone at the NY Times evidently has a sense of humor. NOTE: I decided to make this after all. I cut the butter by about one third; probably no compromise in flavor. Since I have access to only one kind of Cheddar, I used a combination of Cheddar and kashkeval. It turned out very nicely. The recipe also can easily be halved. Ruth Cheese Thing ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Time: 1 hour 30 minutes, plus optional resting time Yield: 8 servings 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta water 1 pound penne rigatte or other tubular pasta 1/2 pound sharp cheddar cheese 1/2 pound mild cheddar cheese 1 28-ounce can whole, peeled tomatoes with juice 1/4 pound unsalted butter 2 tablespoons sugar 1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add penne, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain, and return pasta to pot. 2. Meanwhile, cut both cheeses into 1/2-inch cubes. Leave tomatoes in their juice, and cut or break them into bite-size pieces. 3. Add butter to the drained pasta, and stir until almost melted. Add the cheese, tomatoes, sugar and the teaspoon of salt, and stir well. Pour this mixture into a 2-quart baking dish. For optimal results, the mixture should be refrigerated for 12 to 24 hours before baking, although it can be baked right away. 4. When ready to bake, heat oven to 400 degrees. Set the cheese thing on middle rack in the oven, and bake, about 1 hour, until it is bubbly and the noodles poking out of the top have browned. Serve hot as an entree with a salad or cold for breakfast the next morning. Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 575 calories, 30 grams fat, 90 milligrams cholesterol, 860 milligrams sodium, 20 grams protein, 50 grams carbohydrate. NY Times on the Web 11/26/97
