Last month, we played a fabulous birthday show for our good friend Adam Kindred- but only after hosting a pre-show potluck with our favorite vixens: VIXENS.
I'm one of those lucky women you may remember hearing about around the water cooler. About once a month, I have the uncanny ability to run into Vixen Josie Stevens at the Scotia Square Dollarama. Every time we get together we tend to talk casseroles, so we finally decided to get together and just make one already! We were joined by the lovely Bridget Robins and Rosie Davis (also of Vixens fame), as well as my good friend TJ. We decided to create a vegetarian version of a "pasta pie" recipe I stumbled across, courtesy of the fine folks at Noble Pig.
Casserole-play (Now with Mushrooms!)
1 1/2 lbs dry Rigatoni
1 can crushed tomatoes
5-6 large portabellas or other firm mushroom, diced small
2 cloves minced garlic
1 large onion, chopped finely
2 Tbsp dry oregano
splash olive oil
splash red wine
2 Bay leaves
1 cup extra old cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups grated parmesan
Cook the Rigatoni noodles in boiling salted water until just under done- you'll want them to be slightly firm so they can stand up. Strain, run under cold water for a few moments to shock, then set aside.
Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil to medium high in a large sauce pot. Add onions, and stir until they begin to brown and caramelize. Then add in the oregano, garlic and mushrooms and saute for a few minutes on high. Add a healthy splash of red wine (about 1/2 cup) like you are throwing it into an unfaithful lover's face. Give the pot a sensual gaze of contempt, then add the can of crushed tomatoes and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, stirring carefully- it will sputter as it heats- then reduce heat to a medium low setting and cover the pot partially. Allow to simmer for approximately 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally and taking care to ensure that thick sauce isn't burning to the bottom of the pot.
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in some salt, pepper, and parm to taste, then allow it to cool while we move on to the next step: Noodle Stuffing. Rosie's favorite.
Grease a large cake pan. Tightly pack the pasta into the pan, standing each piece on end. With a smaller pan, you might be able to accomplish this on your own, but the size we went for was definitely a 2 person job. Fill each noodle with sauce, pushing it right into the holes if necessary. Top with the old cheddar, tomato slices and a little oregano. Pop it into the oven, and get your mind out of the gutter.
Bake that mother for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly n' brown and the entire dish is burning hot! Wait 5 minutes for it to set a little before digging in, though- it will hold it's shape a little better on a plate.
We ate like queens, and it tasted all the more magnificent because we worked as a team! Oh yeah, there were probably some kings and peasants there too. We owe the Vixens for a good time (and a killer set)! You can find their music here. And thanks to all the other bands that came out, it got pretty large and loud at Gus' that night: Mean Mug, Negative Circles, IDon'tGiveARips and Concrete Asylum.
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| TJ did everything! |
Special thanks to everyone who contributed to my pot luck too- success tastes like curry and wine.
-Sev
