Pasta al Forno with Green Beans

10 minutes prep 1 hour + 15 minutes active cooking 1 hour + 25 minutes total

Makes 4-6 servings

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Jim’s riff on the classic pasta al forno (baked pasta)...

found throughout Italy uses fresh-frozen Oregon green beans to bring a bit of color to this cozy winter dish. Relying on common pantry ingredients, it’s easy to pull together without a trip to the grocery store and its cheesy creaminess is a hit with kids and grown-ups alike.

What You'll Need

Ingredients

For the shopping list

1 bag frozen Oregon Green Beans
3 cloves garlic, chopped
8 oz of mozzarella cheese, grated
3 tablespoons of all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups of milk

From our shop

1/2 pound of Casarecce
$9.00– Gragnano - Italy

*substitute any pasta that’s roughly the same size and shape as the green beans

Out of stock

4 tablespoons, divided of Novo Frantoio
$27.00– Tuscany - Italy

1 1/2 cups of Crushed Tomatoes
$7.00– Yolo Valley - California

freeze the remaining tomatoes from the 28 oz can for another use

Out of stock

2 oz (about 1/2 cup), grated of Parmigiano Reggiano
$9.00– Reggio-Emilia - Italy

As needed Italian Fine Sea Salt
$7.00– Trapani - Sicily

Equipment

From the kitchen

large saucepan
9”x13” baking dish
small saucepan
measuring cups
measuring spoons
box grater

What you'll have to do

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain, saving about a 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking liquid. Return the drained pasta to the pot, toss with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the reserved liquid.

Step 2

Add the frozen beans, tomatoes, garlic, mozzarella, and 1/2 teaspoon of oregano to the cooked pasta and stir to combine. Taste and add salt if needed. Transfer to a 9 X 13 inch baking dish or similarly sized skillet.

Step 3

Make the olive oil and parmesan besciamella: combine 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 3 tablespoons of flour in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture begins to bubble, then add 1 1/2 cups of milk and stir well to combine. Bring to a boil, cook for about 3 minutes, then remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan.