Say the word “casserole,” and most people can smell the Campbell’s �” cream-of-mushroom soup, that is. Maligned as a culinary massacre, casseroles have long been labeled �” along with baked Spam and anything in aspic �” as terminally retro kitchen kitsch.

But casseroles (a word that refers to the dish made to be eaten and the pan in which it is cooked) have a noble history dating back at least to classical Greek times. In France, the dish reached its height with cassoulet, a bean-and-meat stew whose name means, simply, “casserole.” Then, American home economists got a hold of the idea, and casseroles became a dumping ground for “convenience” foods (canned cream soup, for example) lauded for being cheap and easy. Clifford A. Wright, in his new book, “Bake Until Bubbly” (Wiley, 2008), details this history and quotes a cookbook from 1940: “‘The casserole saves dish-washing, the casserole makes it possible to use leftovers, food cooked in this way needs little watching ...’ opined the editors of ‘The American Women’s Cook Book.’” Nowhere, he notes, is the casserole praised for tasting good. His book is an attempt to get priorities straight.

Below are two casseroles, neither of them quick, easy or particularly cheap. The baked rigatoni is made with a slow-cooked ragu (meat sauce) and a freshly prepared bechamel (white sauce). The cassoulet, though simpler than the more labor-intensive classic version, honors its rustic French roots, minus the duck confit and the partridge. These are both “company casseroles” that showcase what careful preparation and long cooking can do for fine ingredients.

The good news is that, just like the mythical 1950s housewife, you get to lounge around reading a novel while your casserole bakes. The even better news is that one bite will banish the image of aspic, Spam and tuna noodle from everyone’s minds. Let the New Age of the casserole begin.

BAKED RIGATONI WITH SAUSAGES

For the casserole:

10 sprigs fresh parsley

10 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 tablespoons pork lard or unsalted butter

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, peeled and finally chopped

2 tablespoons chopped pancetta (Italian bacon)

2 pounds sweet Italian sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup Chianti or other dry red wine

2 pounds canned whole tomatoes, with their liquid, chopped

5 large garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

freshly ground black pepper

1 pound rigatoni

1 pound fresh mozzarella, diced or shredded

For the white sauce (bechamel):

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups hot or warm whole milk

salt and freshly ground white pepper

pinch of nutmeg

Cut a small square of cheesecloth, and place the parsley and thyme in it. Gather up the edges of the cheesecloth and tie with cotton string. This is a bouquet garni. Set it aside.

In a large flame- and oven-proof enameled casserole dish, melt the lard (or butter) with the olive oil over medium heat, then add the onion and pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 10 minutes. Add the sausage and cook, tossing, until browned, about 8 minutes.

Pour in the wine, scraping up the bits on the bottom of the pan, then add the tomatoes and their liquid. Add the garlic and the bouquet garni, and season with black pepper. Reduce the heat to very low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until dense and unctuous, about 4 hours.

Bring a large pot of abundantly salted water to a vigorous boil, and add the rigatoni. Cook until done but still firm (al dente) and then drain. Transfer the rigatoni to the casserole, and toss with the sausage tomato sauce. Sprinkle the mozzarella over the top.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Make the bechamel: In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the flour and stir to form a roux (paste). Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and slowly whisk in the milk until it is all blended. Season with salt, white pepper and nutmeg. Return the saucepan to the heat, reduce to medium-low and cook, stirring almost constantly until thick, about 12 minutes. Spread evenly over the casserole.

Bake until the top is dappled with brown spots, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, let rest 10 minutes and serve.

Yield: 6 servings

Recipe from “Bake Until Bubbly” by Clifford A. Wright (Wiley, 2008)

CASSOULET

3 tablespoons duck fat or chicken fat or butter

1 ounce salt pork, cut into strips

1 ounce prosciutto fat or ham fat, cut into strips

1 pound lamb shank or shoulder

1 pound sweet Italian sausages

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

1 leek (white part only), split lengthwise, well rinsed and chopped

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

1 celery stalk, trimmed and chopped

4 large cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 pound veal or beef marrowbones (often sold as “soup bones”)

1-1/2 cups dried white cannellini or navy beans

2 teaspoons salt, plus more as needed

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

3 cups dry white wine

1 cup water

1-1/2 teaspoons dried summer savory

1 teaspoon herbes de Provence or dried marjoram

The day before you are planning to serve the dish: Melt the duck or chicken fat (or butter) in an enameled flame-proof casserole dish over medium-high heat, then cook the salt pork and prosciutto fat (or ham fat), stirring until almost crispy, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove from the casserole and set aside.

Brown the lamb and sausages in the casserole on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove from the casserole, allow to cool, cover and refrigerate.

Cook the onion, leek, carrot, celery and garlic in the casserole, stirring frequently until all are softened and the onion is translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the reserved salt pork and prosciutto fat, the parsley and the black pepper and stir. Add the marrowbones.

Allow to cool; cover and refrigerate overnight. Place the beans in a pot and cover with water by 2 inches. Let sit overnight at room temperature.

Early the next morning, preheat the oven to 225 F. Drain the beans and place them on top of the vegetable mixture in the casserole. Add the salt, and put the lamb shanks and sausages on top.

Dissolve the tomato paste into the wine and pour, along with the 1 cup water, into the casserole. Sprinkle with savory and herbes de Provence (or marjoram). Push any beans down to submerge them completely in liquid. Taste a little of the liquid and adjust the salt. Cover and place in the oven until the beans are tender and the meat is falling off the bone, 10 to 12 hours.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Recipe from “Bake Until Bubbly” by Clifford A Wright (Wiley, 2008)

Marialisa Calta is the author of “Barbarians at the Plate: Taming and Feeding the American Family” (Perigee, 2005). For more information, go to www.marialisacalta.com.