Pasta Bake
Introduction
This is Mama Miche, and today in my magic kitchen: Pasta Bake
Baked ziti, spaghetti, and even lasagna are essentially pasta bakes. Pasta, sauce, and cheese are the main ingredients; they are all inexpensive and filling and can be made to feed large crowds easily and affordably.
I'm a cheese lover, but to be honest, it's the sauce that makes or breaks a pasta bake. It's got to taste good and be plentiful, or it'll be dry, and nobody wants that.
When my Momster made sauce, it was by the vat and used to make a plethora of her other Italian dishes. Manicotti, ravioli, stuffed shells, lasagna, eggplant, chicken parmigiana, etc. all used her marinara. She made some damn fine sauce, and I humbly submit that her daughter does too. And also, made by the vat! Try this recipe! And if you don't use my marinara or meat sauce recipe, and you use jar sauce, add some Twice Stolen Spice™ for some zing!
Mama Miche makes your kitchen magic. Let's eat!ts were still married, and she made the meatloaf, my father would always end up with a piece with the egg, complete with the shell. Only he would get the shell. Every. Single. Time.
Let Mama Miche make your kitchen magic!
Tools
Knife
2 large mixing bowls
Large mixing spoon
9 x 13-inch baking dish
Aluminum foil
Ingredients
Makes 9-12 servings
1 lb. box pasta of choice (ziti, rotini, cavatappi)
16 oz Ricotta
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
2 tbsp Twice Stolen Spice™
3 tbsp fresh minced garlic
4 cups marinara or meat sauce (Note 1)
1 lb. package of sliced buffalo mozzarella cheese (optional)
Fresh basil (optional)
Directions
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 55 minutes
Prep
Preheat oven to 350° F
Cook pasta for 2 minutes less than package directions for al dente and drain water. Spray pasta with a little olive to prevent sticking.
While the pasta cooks, mix half of the Parmesan, half of the mozzarella, and all the ricotta with the other ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Add pasta and cheese and sauce mixture. Mix thoroughly.
Pour mixture into a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Sprinkle the remaining shredded mozzarella and Parmesan over the top.
(optional) Top with the sliced buffalo mozzarella.
Cover with foil.
Cook
Cook covered for 40 minutes.
Remove the foil and cook uncovered for an additional 15 minutes.
Broil for 2-3 minutes if you like a more browned cheese topping.
Notes:
Marina and meat sauce recipes posted on our Magic Kitchen blog, or use jarred sauce and zhuzh with Twice Stolen Spice™
To add even more to the versatility of a pasta bake, it can be made as a newover; instead of just heating up leftover noodles and sauce, you make a delicious bake. It's slightly different than your original meal (some might say even better since cheese, especially lots of it, makes everything better.)
