My Nana always had a baked pasta dish during the holidays. It was very traditional with a meat sauce and lots of cheese. Looking back on traditions and evolving them is something magical. It brings the family together and creates food memories to last a lifetime.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs. of Dried Farfalle Pasta cooked al dente
• 5 cups of whole milk
• 1/2 cup of crème fraiche
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 6 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp. of neutral oil
• 1 lb. of Italian sausage
• 5 tablespoons of butter
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
• 10 oz of pitted Gaeta olives, sliced in half
• 1 bunch of Asparagus tops blanched (roughly 3 inches in size) Chop the stems about an inch from the tops thinly.
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped plus more for garnish
• 1/4 cup of All-purpose flour
• 1 bunch of Tuscan kale chopped
• 1/2 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 cup of fresh mozzarella lightly pressed to remove some extra moisture. Pulled apart into bite-size pieces.
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon of fresh chives, sliced thin plus more for garnish
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley. chopped

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. Cook the pasta to al dente per the directions. Immediately after, run the pasta under cold water to stop the cooking process. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.
3. In a large saucepan heat the milk, crème fraiche, thyme, and 1 clove of garlic smashed over low heat. Keep barely warm to just infuse the flavors of the aromatics.
4. In the D3 Stainless 6-quart Mother of All Pans, heat 1 tablespoon of neutral oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and brown on all sides. Take out of the pan. Slice into discs and bring back to the pan to caramelize the surfaces, roughly 2 minutes per side. Take out of the pan and reserve.
5. Turn the heat down to medium-low, add the butter, let melt and add the onion. Cook for 4 minutes or until transparent. Add the tomatoes, olives, and sliced asparagus stems. Continue to sauté in the pan for 4 to 5 minutes.
6. Add the garlic along with the basil. Cook until fragrant about one minute.
7. Spread the flour evenly in the mixture and sauté with everything for roughly 3 minutes to cook the flour through.
8. Strain the solids from the warm milk mixture that has been infused. In a slow stream, pour the milk into the pan combining it with everything. Mix to fully combine. When it is all added, bring to a simmer, return the sausage and pasta to the pan, and add the kale, blanched asparagus tops, 3/4 of the mozzarella cheese, and 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
9. Top the pan with the remaining cheese. Place in the oven for 30 minutes or until the mixture is bubbling and the cheese in becoming golden brown on top.
10. Garnish with fresh herbs. Serve hot.

Pro Tip

This dish was inspired by my own traditions. You can easily swap out the pasta shape for another of your choosing along with adding different vegetables or even a different sauce. The choice is yours to create!

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