Pasta Bake

Whilst growing up, I had the fortune to have a pizza restaurant within easy walking distance; In contrast, the pizza was usually good; but, they had a pasta bake that consisted of various shapes of pasta tossed with topping vegetables and pizza sauce. This was then covered in an assortment of cheeses and baked in a mini casserole. That casserole is at the top of my mind.

Yes, this is a copycat of the P*zz* H*t C*v*tini. I have a couple close to me, but those are a long drive down the highway and across the bridge, and my kitchen is a very short walk.

One of my favorite dishes, and as I have grown older and have ran my own kitchen, I am impressed by the creation of a new menu item with little or no additional materials.

The dish is a beautiful piece of velcro to use leftover bits and pieces, the odd 1/2 cup of various pasta shapes, the 1/2 bell pepper and 1/2 onion lying in the veggie drawer, the end of multiple pieces of cheese, or even the survivors of the great broccoli roast. (Really, who am I kidding, as if this stuff lasts in my fridge long enough to be an issue?)

I’d serve this as a semi-Italian meal with a decent salad, some garlic bread, and a nice glass of red wine.

As the recipe can yield a decent amount, I’ve chosen to use some freezer-to-oven-safe mini casserole dishes that come with covers so that one can eat now and eat later.

The pizza restaurant never really drained their pasta well, so there was always a watery sauce issue; I drained my pasta well and tossed it with the faintest hint of olive oil. (Put those pitchforks and torches away.)

Bow Tie Bake

Saucy baked bowl of bow tie pasta, stuffed with sausage, and pepperoni, piled high with mozzarella and drenched in a bolognese.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Calories: 730

Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 1/4 lb Pepperoni Thin sliced
• 1/2 lb Bow Tie Pasta Can be a mix of shapes as well
• 1/2 ea Green Bell Pepper washed, cored and sliced very thin
• 1/2 ea Onion Peeled, and sliced thin
• 4 oz Mushrooms Cleaned, sliced very thin
• 1/2 lb Italian sausage Hot or mild, decased, and browned
• 3 oz Mozzarella Shredded
• 3 oz Parmesan cheese Grated
• 16 oz Pasta Sauce https://www.roguechef.com/?p=141

Equipment

• 2-4 Mini Casserole Dish Freezer to Oven safe

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Cook noodles according to box directions
3. Warm the sauce and add browned sausage
4. Prepare the mini dishes with a wipe of olive oil
5. Layer in pasta and sauce
6. Add a layer of veggies, cheeses, and mushrooms (if using)
7. Repeat for three layers, and top with cheese
8. Place dishes on a baking sheet and bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling.

Nutrition

Calories: 730kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 35gFat: 42gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 102mgSodium: 1879mgPotassium: 811mgFiber: 4gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 801IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 403mgIron: 3mg

Notes

A semi-quick and hearty meal.  

Make sure the pasta is well drained.

Feel free to adjust the amount of cheese and veggies to your liking, and ditto with the amount of sauce.

One can use this dish as velcro to pick up odds and sods of pasta, cheeses, and veggies lying about in the icebox.

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