Pasta Casserole

March 10th 2010

This is extremely quick to make and great for finishing off leftovers both in the fridge and in the pantry. As long as you have some cheese and pasta sauce at home you are good :) Or  of course, you could make your own sauce too.

Difficulty level : Easy

Time: 10 min ( Prep Time), 15-20 min ( Bake Time)

Ingredients

• Pasta (pre- prepared/ leftovers) or Cooked pasta ( cook as per instructions on the packet). Better to use small pasta ( rotini, penne, farfalle, elbow etc. ) instead of the string kinds.
• Pasta sauce (only if using cooked pasta) -options include marinara, pesto, even Alfredo if you can take all that cheese and creaminess :)
• Any vegetables ( optional)- only if using cooked pasta
• Cheese ( Parmesan, Mozzarella - shredded)
• Any spices you might have ( basil, thyme, oregano) a pinch of each
• olive oil ( to grease)

Method de Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 or 375 F.
2. Take a baking pan based on the amount of pasta you have, either a 9 x 13 or smaller.
3. Grease with a little olive oil.
4.  Can saute lightly whatever vegetables you like ( onion, garlic, bell pepper, black olives, mushrooms etc) in olive oil and add to the sauce if you are using cooked pasta. Stuff that you need to clear from the refrigerator also works! [optional]
5. Layer with pasta, sauce, cheese and repeat. If you are using leftover pasta then skip the sauce and just layer with pasta and cheese.
6. Sprinkle the spices in between layers or add to the vegetables while sauteing.
7. Cover with an aluminum foil  and bake for about 15-20 min. Take off the aluminum foil and bake at 425 F for the last 10 min so the top takes on a a crusty and browned appearance.
8. Oven temperature and times can be varied to suit taste.

Chef's Tip:  You could cook a few different kinds of pasta and bake it all together (if you want to finish them off) as long as they are in the general same family and size. Just don't cook spaghetti and penne and expect them to meld, won't happen!