Penne With Melted Vegetable Sauce

By MooK

While we've recommended using aggressively salted water for blanching vegetables, here, because the water is also used to cook the pasta, it is better to salt the water following our pasta-salting guidelines. Feel free to substitute other vegetables here, though the potatoes are an important backbone of the sauce. The raw garlic adds lots of flavor, but also potency, to the sauce: use less if you're sensitive to that flavor, or more if you enjoy it. Also, use the best olive oil you can find, as it adds lots of flavor to this dish.

Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• 1 large russet potato (about 12 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 3/4 cups)
• 3 ounces string beans, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 3/4 cup)
• 1/2 small fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 small red onion, cut into 1.4-inch dice (about 3/4 cup)
• 1 pound dried penne
• 2 to 4 medium cloves garlic, minced (see note above)
• 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (see note above)
• 1/4 cup minced parsley
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving

Preparation

Step 1

In a medium pot of salted boiling water, cook potato until a piece is easily crushed between fingers, about 5 minutes. Using fine strainer, transfer to large mixing bowl. Working one vegetable at a time, continue by boiling carrots, string beans, fennel, and onion until each is well done, about 5 minutes each; add each vegetable to mixing bowl as it is ready.

Add penne to boiling water and cook until al dente, following timing on package. Drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking water.

Meanwhile, add garlic, olive oil, and parsley to vegetables, and mix thoroughly until potatoes have broken down for form a chunky puree. Season with salt and pepper.

Add penne and a healthy grating of Parmigiano-Reggiano to vegetable sauce and stir to combine, adding cooking water 1 tablespoon at a time if sauce is too thick. Spoon into bowls, top with additional grated cheese, and serve.