Rigatoni Stuffed with Goat Cheese, Sundried Tomatoes and Artichoke Hearts
Bit of a week. My head hurts. It’s after midnight. I can’t seem to spell without the aid of spell-check. Still on Thursday and Friday’s to-do list: find a Julia Child wig (and build a costume around it, then practice my higher-octave voice) for Breakfast TV Friday morning (I’m hoping they’ll let me bloodily cut my finger on the air à la Dan Ackroyd on Saturday Night Live), shop and prep for two different cooking segments (cupcakes, shaggy monster cookies, spun-sugar cobweb croquembouche, stuff with pumpkin in it), make green food for a photo shoot for ParentsCanada magazine tomorrow afternoon (at which I’ll also be taking the pictures), finish two articles and take photos for one of them, and cook for a Napa Valley wine event at Willow Park on Friday night, which 250 hungry people will be attending. That’s not including the little stuff, and the outline and sample chapter of a book manuscript I was supposed to have done this week, which obviously won’t. And oh yeah-
I have a 4 year old.
Luckily (for so many reasons) I have a next door neighbour who happens to be a chef. He comes in handy because 1) we’re tag teaming on this Napa Valley event, which is a very good thing because he’s far more cheffy than I, making things like seared scallops over radicchio slaw in soup spoons, and there’s no way I could pull it off myself. Also, he sometimes brings us food. Some days he leans over the fence to give me a taste of a duck confit or some little cornucopia filled with something interesting. Earlier this week he brought over cold rigatoni stuffed with goat cheese and tossed in pesto, which we’ve been dipping into for the past few days.
Tonight at around dinnertime they came in handy-we set the last of them out in a bowl at the table and nervously scarfed them down with our fingers, dunked in chipotle aioli, as my sister filled out paperwork to make an offer on a house. Her very first house. Directly across the street.
Rigatoni Stuffed with Goat Cheese
AuthorJulie
Cook rigatoni in a large pot of well salted boiling water until just al dente. Drain well and immerse in cold water to stop cooking. In a food processor add cheeses, tomatoes and artichokes. Process until smooth. Add in basil and pulse until just mixed. Season with salt and pepper.
Fit a piping bag with a small straight tip small enough to fit in the rigatoni. Fill bag with cheese mixture. (Alternatively, fill a large ziploc bag, seal and snip a corner off to pipe from.) Drain rigatoni well and pipe cheese mixture into rigatoni. Be careful not to overfill or the rigatoni might break.
In a large bowl combine pesto and olive oil and mix well. Add stuffed pasta and toss to coat. Serve at room temperature. Store in the fridge up to 3 days.
Does not freeze well.
Ingredients
Directions
Cook rigatoni in a large pot of well salted boiling water until just al dente. Drain well and immerse in cold water to stop cooking. In a food processor add cheeses, tomatoes and artichokes. Process until smooth. Add in basil and pulse until just mixed. Season with salt and pepper.
Fit a piping bag with a small straight tip small enough to fit in the rigatoni. Fill bag with cheese mixture. (Alternatively, fill a large ziploc bag, seal and snip a corner off to pipe from.) Drain rigatoni well and pipe cheese mixture into rigatoni. Be careful not to overfill or the rigatoni might break.
In a large bowl combine pesto and olive oil and mix well. Add stuffed pasta and toss to coat. Serve at room temperature. Store in the fridge up to 3 days.
Does not freeze well.
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Sister right across the street?! Oh, that would be so wonderful! For all of you.
I may need to make a call to my sister in Sweden right now.
wow, stuffed rigatoni? that’s dedication! sounds fantastic.
WoW! How wonderful to have your sister across the street! W and cousins growing up together and you have a mini family block party built in when your parents come 🙂
The pasta is so far over the top for me… just on the stuffed aspect! What dexterity and fortitude to weld a pastry bag in one hand and a tube in the other filling them to perfection. Throw in the slippery ziploc bag and I’d be serving layered rigatoni. Admiration and kudos to you both.
But then again, who fills pasta tubes while a hungry 250 guest list looms on top of all the other deadlines and projects crammed into the next two days. You guys are amazing!!!
Oh what fun! I hope it goes well for your sister because that would be just too awesome. Sending good luck her way for the house purchase.
My fingers are crossed for you all!
You give the word “busy” a whole new meaning – holy cow, that rigatoni looks amazing! Good luck to your sister on the house purchase. Boy, I’d give anything to have mine living across the street – all 3 of them!
Phew, you make me tired just reading.
Hang in there. Saturday will be here soon.
“as my sister filled out paperwork to make an offer on a house. Her very first house. Directly across the street.”
I think this is my very favourite part of your blog. Your recipes are fantastic, they earn me raves (and eyerolls when I go on about your site – and I do…); your pictures are beautiful; but the best part is the warmth you bring to the whole blog with bits about your family and travels and travails. I almost got up to tell someone in the office about your sister but decided to forego the eyerolls today. I sincerely hope this works out for the both of you!
Aw, what sweet comments! It’s looking good… I’ll keep you updated!
PLUS, Grazing nominated for an award. Add “being excited and happy” to your already very long list of things to do today. Congrats!
What a life you lead! Kudos to you for keeping the energy levels high. Nothing ever seems to get you down…now a sister right across the street!! Do I smell a new blog in the works?! Please don’t wear yourself out…we need our daily “Julie fix”!
Wow…what a fun, busy and exciting week you’re having!
I think it would be wonderful to have my sister live across the street and if she did, and we could eat this pasts dish for dinner, life would be very, very good.
I’ve been told I make a pretty good play date….
JULIE!! How fantastic about your sister! That totally rocks.
That would be so neat to have your sister close. I feel like I know her too!
I missed reading early enough about the Napa Valley event.. are you going? We just got back.. a little place in Sonoma was phenominal. The premier Mondavi Tour was ourstanding. There are others that are excellent, as well… some really lovely restaurants near the St. Helena HWY that is where you drive through the valley… and, of course, Bouchon and The French Laundry…. and Bouchon Bakery. If you are getting into Berkeley across the bridge form San Fran, you must not miss (and no one should) Chez Panisse. I am sure you know all of this, Julie… but will be reading every space between your words if you are heading out there.
Cheers,
Valerie
Hey, I don’t know if you will get this in time but I am making this for dinner tonight and I was wondering how you think it would taste with the pesto swapped out for red sauce–any thoughts?