We’re in winter.  There’s visible evidence of this as things get slightly frosted.  When we’re outdoors, our breath condenses and appears like cigarette smoke coming out of our mouths.  Taxis are becoming a better option and staying in doesn’t seem like a bad plan after all.  Maybe there’s someone new in your life or maybe you’ve been in a relationship for years.  Either way, the frigid air makes you want to stay closer to each other.  Body warmth is not only key, but our ultimate goal.  And as we seek and find warmth with this human connection, we organically nestle in the bonding stage of love.  So when things are cold and dreary outside, keep each other warm and fuzzy inside with this rich and hearty plate of savory pasta pudding.

Small portions are recommended for this dish.  The creamy bechamel combined with the savory gruyere and chunky tomato sauce gives so much sustenance that just a little goes a very long way.  I like the idea of serving this dish on a leisurely day off.  Serve it as an early lunch with a nice glass of Italian wine and a light salad to follow.  Knowing that I have the rest of the day to digest and work off the calories means I don’t get to deprive myself of these notorious “no-no” meals. Wash this down with a premium Barolo, or even a simple table wine that’s not so fussy like Montepulciano. I promise you tears will start to roll down your cheeks as you burst with joy. Okay, that’s an exaggeration. However, it is no exaggeration that if you share this with the one you love, you will be in hog heaven.  I know it’s not fancy and, quite frankly, maybe even downright boring. But it won’t let you down. How can pasta, cheese, and tomatoes, put together, be a disappointment?

Brooklyn, EAT your heart out!

Savory Pasta Pudding

• 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup of bread crumbs (store bought or homemade)
• 6 oz of tricolor spaghetti
• 1 1/4 cups of béchamel sauce (see recipe at bottom)
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 cup of grated gruyere cheese
• salt and pepper
• fresh flat-leaf parsley, to garnish

Preheat oven at 425 degrees Farenheit. Coat the inside of 4 ramekins with butter and half of the bread crumbs. Break the spaghetti into thirds and cook al dente as instructed on package and set aside in a mixing bowl. Make béchamel sauce.

Basic Béchamel Sauce

• 1 1/4 cups of whole milk
• 2 bay leaves
• pinch of ground clove
• 1 small onion, cut in half
• 4 tablespoons of butter, a little extra for greasing
• 6 tablespoons of all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cup of light cream
• large pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• salt and pepper to taste

In a saucepan, add milk, bay leaves, clove, and onion.  Bring to a boil, then remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool.  Once cooled, strain the milk into a measuring cup and keep aside.  In the meantime, melt the butter in the same saucepan and stir in the flour.  After a minute, slowly pour in the milk and keep stirring.  Cook the sauce for approximately 3 minutes, then pour in the light cream and bring everything to a boil again.  Remove from the heat and sprinkle a large pinch of freshly grated nutmeg.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Mix the bechamel sauce and egg yolk together, then pour sauce into the mixing bowl of cooked pasta.  Pack this pasta and bechamel sauce mixture evenly into the 4 ramekins and sprinkle with the remaining half of bread crumbs.  Bake in the oven for approximately 20 minutes, or until golden.

Tomato Sauce

• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 2/3 cup of dry white wine
• 2/3 cup of strained pureed tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste

In the meantime, make the tomato sauce. Saute onions and bay leaf in extra virgin olive oil until softened and translucent. Stir in the wine, tomato puree, tomato paste and let simmer on low-medium heat until the sauce gets thick (approximately 20 minutes). Serve savory pasta pudding onto a plate of chunky tomato sauce. Sprinkle with grated gruyere cheese and garnish with parsley.