Pasta Gratin in the Seventies Style:
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Cook 250 grams of short pasta (maccheroni, penne, etc.) in plenty of salted water and drain it al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, prepare the tomato sauce: heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and sauté a finely chopped onion and 3 crushed garlic cloves for a minute. Add 500 grams of canned tomatoes, chopped into pieces, a tablespoon of basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Let it simmer for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally.
Grate some bread to obtain 5-6 tablespoons of breadcrumbs and mix it with a touch of basil.
In a bowl, combine 100 grams of grated Grana (Asiago or Parmesan) and 200 grams of grated Gruyère.
Take a large baking dish and butter it well, including the edges. Layer in the following order:
- 1/3 of the tomato sauce
- 1/3 of the pasta
- 1/3 of the grated cheese
- add salt and pepper to taste
Repeat the process until the ingredients are used up, finishing with the cheese and then sprinkle with breadcrumbs (if you like, add small pieces of butter scattered over the mixture).
Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes and/or until the top is golden brown.
Serve immediately with a good mug of German, Czech, or Austrian Pilsner.
An experience for those nostalgic for '70s Hard Rock (the quantities are for 4) while listening to "Whiskey in the Jar" by Thin Lizzy.
If you know nothing about the '70s, listen to the same song as performed by Metallica.