Pink Baked Pasta

This is another great recipe from Open Kitchen--although I confess that I am not a huge pan of radicchio, so I substituted rainbow chard stems and beet greens to get the pink flavor.  Mine was more earthy and less bitter than the original.  I also eliminated prosciutto as well, but you could certainly choose to add it back in.  I thought it didn't add what you might hope it would, so better vegetarian

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium red onions, sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick wedges
2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 large head radicchio, cored and sliced into 1/2-inch-thick ribbons --or anything pink
salt
8 ounces soft goat cheese
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 pound short pasta, such as gemelli, strozzapreti, or penne
6 ounces fontina cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
generous gratings of nutmeg
10 to 12 grinds black pepper
1 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a large (3-quart) baking dish and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until lightly browned and softened, 10 to 12 minutes total. After the first 7 minutes, add the garlic.

Add the radicchio and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until wilted, 3 to 4 minutes. Crumble in the goat cheese, add the cream, and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Cook the pasta in a pot of liberally salted water until shy of al dente. You want it a little firmer than usual, as it will continue to soften while baking. Scoop out 1 cup of the pasta water, drain pasta, and add the pasta and the water to the skillet with the vegetables, stirring.

Fold in two-thirds of the fontina cheese. Toss well and season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Dot the top with the remaining fontina cheese and sprinkle with the parmigiano cheese. Transfer to the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown on top and bubbling at the edges. Serve immediately.

Alternatively, let the assembled dish cool, cover with foil, and refrigerate until ready to serve. Take out of the refrigerator about 1 hour before baking and bake 45 to 50 minutes.