Cookbook:Baked Penne

Ingredients

 * 1 cup (125 g) uncooked penne pasta
 * 1 cup (300 g) ricotta cheese
 * 4 eggs, separated and brought to room temperature
 * ¼ cup (½ stick/125 g) unsalted butter, melted
 * ⅛ tsp cream of tartar
 * 1 pinch salt
 * ¼ tsp freshly-ground black pepper
 * 1 tsp minced garlic
 * 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
 * ½ cup (60 g) grated mozzarella cheese
 * 1 ½ cups (400 g) tomato paste
 * 4 leaves fresh basil

Procedure

 * 1) Preheat the oven to 375 F.
 * 2) In a gallon of salted, boiling water, cook pasta until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
 * 3) Combine ricotta, egg yolks, butter, salt, pepper, garlic, parsley, and tomato paste. Fold in cooked pasta. Set aside.
 * 4) In a spotlessly clean metal bowl, beat egg whites to stiff peaks with cream of tartar. Gently fold into pasta mixture.
 * 5) Pour into a parchment-lined high-sided roasting pan. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and cover with aluminum foil. Bake in the center of the oven for 15 minutes.
 * 6) Remove foil and lower temperature to 350 F. Bake for another 30 minutes or until browned and bubbly on top.
 * 7) Place serving portions onto plates and garnish with basil. Serve warm.