| Serves
4 generously as a main dish, 6 as a first course Ingredients
- 1 package (10 to 12 oz) dried fideo (vermicelli) noodles (preferably the thinnest
ones, called "angel hair" and sold in nest shapes)
- About 1-1/2 tbs vegetable or olive
oil
- 2 C Roasted
Jalapeņo-Tomato Salsa
- 2 to 2-1/4 C rich-tasting chicken or
vegetable broth
- 1 tsp salt (depending on the
saltiness of the broth)
- 2 C cooked black beans, drained
|
- 1 bunch chard (about 8 good-sized
leaves; look for red chard for the prettiest dish), stems trimmed off, leaves sliced in
half lengthwise, then crosswise in 1/2-inch strips
- 1-1/2 C (about 6 oz) cubed Mexican queso fresco (1/2-inch cubes is good) OR a generous
1/2 C finely grated Mexican queso aņejo, Parmesan or
Romano
- 1/3 C chopped fresh cilantro
|
Directions
Heat the
oven to 350 degrees. Place the noodle nests in a 9 X 13-inch baking dish. Mist or brush
both sides of the noodles thoroughly with the oil. Bake, turning each nest over once,
until golden brown on both sides, about 15 minutes.
In a
bowl, stir together the salsa, broth (the smaller amount for a 10-ounce package of fideos, the larger amount for a 12-ounce package) and salt. Pour
over the noodles, then turn all the nests over again (this will ensure that they are all
moistened), cover with foil and bake 10 minutes. Uncover, stir the noodles to completely
separate the strands (they should be soft enough by now), and stir in the beans and chard.
(It's a little awkward; the pan will be full.) Re-cover and bake, stirring once, until the
chard is cooked and the noodles are al dente,
about 15 minutes.
Uncover,
strew with the cheese and cilantro, and you're ready to carry this homey casserole to the
table.
Back to Recipes Page |
