Gluten-free Smoky Poblano Jack Mac

(I believe this must have been in the Denver Post and then in a DP blog )

Gluten-free Smoky Poblano Jack Mac: The Recipe
by Susan Clotfelter on August 6, 2008
Oh, twist my arm harder! I had enough requests that I decided to post this. It’s gluten-free, as am I, but if you can eat regular pasta, go for it; you can also substitute bread crumbs for the rice crumbs and regular flour for the potato flour in the white sauce. It sounds like more work than it is, really, but it does involve firing up a pot of hot water, a couple of skillets, AND the oven. I’m a maximum-mess cook. (If you like the sound of this dish, but haven’t time for that kind of mess, just do the sausage, squash and poblanos in the same skillet, then layer on little slabs of the cheese and let them melt.) Or, if you’ve oodles of time and you’re being all Iron Cheffy, add a garnish of fresh sliced poblano rings. They bake up all crispy, shattery and spicy, and add a third and different layer of heat to the roasted poblanos and the El Diente seasoning.

Smoky Poblano Jack Mac
Serves 8
4 Tbsp Or-Gran rice crumbs
2 tsp Savory Spice El Diente Peak seasoning mix (or other Mexican spice mix)
3 cups Tinkyada spiral, shell, or penne rice pasta
8 round zucchini, about softball size, preferably with stems on(look for Ronde de Nice variety; if you can’t find round ones, simply use peeled regular zucchini, but make sure they are young and tender).
3 to 4 Applegate Farms Chicken-apple sausages (in Colorado, you can get these at Vitamin Cottage.)
3 Tbsp. olive oil2 roasted, skinned poblano peppers, diced
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp potato flour
1 to 1 ½ cups half and half (or whole milk)
1 tsp salt
2 ¼ cups shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

Preheat the oven to 350.

Combine the rice crumbs and seasoning mix. Set aside. Cook the rice pasta about 13 minutes; rinse in cold water and toss dry. Spin in a salad spinner if you’ve got one to remove as much water as possible. Toss with a tablespoon of the olive oil.

Take the round zucchini. If they have stems and are round, cut a sliver from one side so that the squash will lie on its side without rolling. (If it has no stem, or is wider than it is tall, do the same on the bottom unless it already stands securely on its blossom end). Next, make a cut to remove the top side, above the stem (if the squash is sitting on its blossom end, cut off the top). Using a sharp paring knife and a grapefruit spoon or sharp paring knife, cut around the inside of the squash and remove it in chunks, leaving a shell that’s at least ½ inch in thickness and has the stem for a handle.” Spray a shallow metal pan with nonstick cooking spray and set the squash, cavity up, in the pan.Slice out any seedy parts of the removed squash and slice into quarter-inch thick chunks. Set aside. Cut the other two zucchini into wedges and remove peels; then slice the wedges into quarter-inch chunks. Combine the squash chunks; you’ll need about 2 cups. Set aside.Slice the sausages lengthwise, then chop into 1/3-inch thick half-rounds. Saute in olive oil until just crispy. Remove from the pan and set aside. In the same pan, sauté the zucchini in 1 T. olive oil until tender, adding the chopped poblanos. Cook until the squash has released its juices and is tender. Drain well. Add the squash and poblanos to the cooked sausage.
In another pan, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook until it begins to thicken. Add the half and half a little bit at a time, whisking constantly. Add the shredded cheese a handful at a time. Allow the sauce to be very thick; it will gain water from being baked in the squash.
Combine the sausage-poblano-zucchini mixture and the pasta; toss to mix well. Add the cheese sauce and stir to combine; salt to taste. Fill each zucchini ball with the mixture. Sprinkle with the rice crumb-seasoning mixture; garnish if desired with thin rings of whole, fresh poblano peppers. Put leftover macaroni mixture into an ovenproof casserole and sprinkle with the remaining rice crumb/seasoning mix; if desired, sprinkle additional shredded cheese on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until the zucchini bowls are releasing their juices and the sauce is bubbling. Serve hot. Devour!