November 10, 2010
“What I Like About Roux”- Baked Pasta with Fennel, Onion and Goat Cheese Cream Sauce I’m totally into making roux’s lately.  Not quite sure if I’ve just been having a craving for creamy sauces, or if it’s just a fun technique that I’m hoping to master.  But, nevertheless, I’m having a fun time coming up with new recipes that incorporate the use of a roux. Tonight I was inspired by the huge fennel bulb that I had bought at the Hollywood Farmer’s Market this weekend.  I am a big fan of this licorice flavored veggie but rarely cook with it at home.  Like most chefs, by the time I get home from work, I’m exhausted and can’t seem to bring myself to cook a meal.  But, thanks to my lovely day off today, I had time to play around in my shoebox of a kitchen. What You Need: 1/2 Large Bulb of Fennel (sliced super thin- mandolin is preferred) 1/2 Onion (sliced super thin- mandolin is preferred) 1 Tbsp. Earth Balance Butter (or regular butter) 1 1/2 Tbsp. Flour 1/4 Cup Marsala Wine 3/4 Soy Milk (or milk of your choice) 1/4 Cup Goat Cheese Salt/Pepper (to taste) Pasta (cooked al dente and set aside) Pasta Water (reserved) Panko Bread Crumbs Grated Parmesan Cheese Heat oven to 400 degrees. 1. Heat a large saute pan on medium heat.  Toss in the butter, onions and fennel.  Saute until the onions and fennel are soft.  Then, pour the Marsala wine into the pan.  Allow some of the liquid to cook off, then sprinkle the flour over veggies.  Stir until the flour has disappeared. 2. Next, add in the milk, stirring to combine and thicken.  As the sauce begins to thicken, add in the goat cheese.  Stir and allow the cheese to evenly distribute throughout the pan.  Add reserved pasta water if the sauce begins to thicken too much.  Turn off heat. Then, toss in the pasta.  Fold the pasta into the sauce.  Season to taste. 3. Next, divide the pasta into individual ramekins.  Top each filled ramekin with a mixture of panko crumbs and parmesan cheese.  Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and slide into the heated oven.  Bake the pasta until the panko crumbs begin to brown.  Remove and serve immediately.

“What I Like About Roux”- Baked Pasta with Fennel, Onion and Goat Cheese Cream Sauce

I’m totally into making roux’s lately.  Not quite sure if I’ve just been having a craving for creamy sauces, or if it’s just a fun technique that I’m hoping to master.  But, nevertheless, I’m having a fun time coming up with new recipes that incorporate the use of a roux.

Tonight I was inspired by the huge fennel bulb that I had bought at the Hollywood Farmer’s Market this weekend.  I am a big fan of this licorice flavored veggie but rarely cook with it at home.  Like most chefs, by the time I get home from work, I’m exhausted and can’t seem to bring myself to cook a meal.  But, thanks to my lovely day off today, I had time to play around in my shoebox of a kitchen.

What You Need:

1/2 Large Bulb of Fennel (sliced super thin- mandolin is preferred)

1/2 Onion (sliced super thin- mandolin is preferred)

1 Tbsp. Earth Balance Butter (or regular butter)

1 1/2 Tbsp. Flour

1/4 Cup Marsala Wine

3/4 Soy Milk (or milk of your choice)

1/4 Cup Goat Cheese

Salt/Pepper (to taste)

Pasta (cooked al dente and set aside)

Pasta Water (reserved)

Panko Bread Crumbs

Grated Parmesan Cheese

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

1. Heat a large saute pan on medium heat.  Toss in the butter, onions and fennel.  Saute until the onions and fennel are soft.  Then, pour the Marsala wine into the pan.  Allow some of the liquid to cook off, then sprinkle the flour over veggies.  Stir until the flour has disappeared.

2. Next, add in the milk, stirring to combine and thicken.  As the sauce begins to thicken, add in the goat cheese.  Stir and allow the cheese to evenly distribute throughout the pan.  Add reserved pasta water if the sauce begins to thicken too much.  Turn off heat. Then, toss in the pasta.  Fold the pasta into the sauce.  Season to taste.

3. Next, divide the pasta into individual ramekins.  Top each filled ramekin with a mixture of panko crumbs and parmesan cheese.  Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and slide into the heated oven.  Bake the pasta until the panko crumbs begin to brown.  Remove and serve immediately.

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