This cabernet franc is the perfect accompaniment to the tomato and zucchini pasta. With the creaminess of this dish, the nuances of the wine are brought to the surface to make a wonderful weeknight dinner or a fun Saturday evening with friends.
This recipe appears in Un-Wine’d, which airs Saturdays at 1:00 p.m. on VPM PBS. Watch past seasons and current episodes on the PBS app or PBS website. Check the broadcast schedule for local listings. Discover more recipes here.
What You’ll Need:
Pasta:
- 2 T. olive oil
- 2 lbs zucchini, cut into ½” pieces
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 T. fresh basil, minced, 1 T. fresh oregano, minced
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 4 lbs roma tomatoes, pureed
- ½ c. butter
- 1 ½ c. heavy whipping cream
- 1 ½ t. Salt
- ½ t. Freshly ground pepper
- 2 ½ c. freshly grated parmesan cheese
- ½ c. ricotta
- 2 c. freshly shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ c. shredded provolone
- 1 lb cooked tube pasta
Topping:
- ½ c. panko crumbs
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 T. olive oil
- ½ c. grated parmesan cheese
Directions:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10 X 14 pan.
Step 2: In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil and sauté the zucchini, onion, garlic, basil, and oregano. Stir in the tomato paste and stir over medium high heat for about two minutes. Pour in the tomato puree and cook for 25 minutes or until the sauce begins to thicken. Stir in the butter, heavy cream, salt, and pepper. Heat until the butter is melted. Add the cheeses and stir until they begin to melt. Stir in the pasta and pour the mixture into the casserole dish.
Step 3:Mix together the topping ingredients and spread over the casserole.
Step 4:Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Serves 6-8