Koelkast's Pastasotto

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 1 onion(s), finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, very finely diced
• 1 small zucchini, finely diced
• 250 g mushrooms, finely diced
• 1 small red bell pepper(s), finely diced
• 125 g ham, diced, lean raw
• 1 shot of white wine
• 1 cup noodles, kritharaki noodles (normal cup)
• 3 cup(s) chicken stock, homemade (not soup powder!)
• 40 g Parmesan, grated fresh
• 2 tbsp mascarpone
• ½ tsp thyme, dried OR:
• 1 tsp thyme, fresh
• salt and pepper
• a little chili, from the mill
• Oil, for frying

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Rest time approx. 5 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 45 minutes

with kritharaki noodles, vegetables and mascarpone, nicely cooked

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan. Add all the prepared vegetables and the diced raw ham and fry vigorously, stirring constantly. Add the kritharaki noodles and continue stirring vigorously. Deglaze with the splash of white wine and reduce completely over medium heat. Pour in half of the heated chicken stock and reduce while stirring. You don’t need to stir the pastasotto continuously, but you should stir vigorously every 3-5 minutes, as the small noodles tend to stick to the bottom. Gradually add all the stock and let the pastasotto simmer for about 20 minutes. Finally, stir in 2 tablespoons of mascarpone, stir in the Parmesan, and season everything with salt, pepper, thyme, and chili. Turn off the heat and let the pastasotto stand in the pan for another 5 minutes. This dish makes a complete small dinner that goes well with a fresh green salad, but it also works well with stir-fries. It should be nice and creamy. If you like, you can finish by grating fresh Parmesan cheese over it and drizzle with a few drops of good olive oil.