Venezuelan Pasta Casserole

SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS

450g rigatoni pasta

2 chicken breasts, poached

4 eggs

1 cup (250ml) whole milk

450g shredded queso de año (or use parmesan)

4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced

150g sliced ham, cut into strips

125g cured sausage, cut into thin slices

4 potatoes, boiled and sliced

1 tsp annatto oil, plus an extra drizzle

Salt and ground pepper

METHOD

TOMATO SAUCE 6 tomatoes, peeled 1 tsp vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing

1 white onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped 1 tbsp parsley, chopped

1 tbsp sugar Ground cumin, to taste

1

Start by making the tomato sauce. Blend the tomatoes in a mixer

2 and set aside.

Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan, add the onion, garlic and bell pepper and stir-fry for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle in the chopped parsley and

3 cook for 8 minutes over medium heat. Add the blended tomatoes and season with salt, pepper, the sugar and cumin. Add the drizzle of annatto oil and let simmer over low heat for

4

35 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta for about 12 minutes in boiling, salted water or until al dente. Drain and mix 5 well with 1 tsp annatto oil.

When the tomato sauce is ready, shred the chicken and mix it into the sauce. Beat the eggs with the milk 6 and preheat oven to 180C.

Grease the bottom and sides of a 33 x 23 x 5cm baking dish with oil. Add a layer of pasta on the bottom, spread half the tomato sauce with chicken over the top, sprinkle over the cheese, and place slices of the boiled eggs, ham, sausage, and potatoes on top. Pour half the egg and milk mixture over, and repeat the layering, finishing with a layer of rigatoni

7 and cheese.

Cover the dish with foil and cook in the oven for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and cook for a further 8

7 minutes or until the cheese is brown. Remove from the oven, let cool and serve warm with salad on the side.