Katie
So, initially I had a different plan for dinner this night…a copycat Wendy’s chili. I got stuck at work, though, and by the time I went to the store and made it home, dinner would have been served at 10:00 pm if I went with the slow-cooked chili. So, I opted for a pretty quick pasta dish instead. (Don’t worry, I made the chili a few days later and it was delicious! That recipe will be my next post!)
I pretty much had all the ingredients for this al forno (aka oven baked) dish. The only thing I needed to pick up was some fresh mozzarella. I was pretty excited when I found teeny tiny mozzarella pearls. Look how cute!
I figured they would be perfect for this dish. I have to save, however, that slicing up a big ball would have covered more surface area and made every bite super cheesy. I recommend doing that when you make this dish. I also used whole wheat pasta and a little more garlic. (Okay, okay. I actually doubled the garlic!)
Start by preheating your oven to 400°…
- Cook one pound of whole wheat penne (or other short cut pasta) to al dente.
- While the pasta cooks, heat a couple of tablespoons of EVOO in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Crush 4 cloves of garlic.
- Add the garlic to the hot oil.
- Cook until golden, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add two small cans of diced tomatoes.
- Add a teaspoon of dried oregano.
- Season with a ½ teaspoon each of s&p.
- Stir and let simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the pasta is finished cooking.
- Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce.
- Stir to combine and let cook for a few minutes in order to coat the pasta with the sauce.
- Pour half of the pasta into a baking dish.
- Top with half a container of mozzarella pearls (or slices of fresh mozzarella).
- Sprinkle on some grated Parmesan cheese.
- Top with the remaining pasta.
- Add the rest of the mozzarella.
- Finish with a little more Parmesan.
- Bake until the cheese is melted, about 10-15 minutes. (I should have baked mine a little bit longer, but my husband kept declaring he was starving, so I pulled it out of the oven a little early. Thank God I didn’t go with the chili that night! He would have died from hunger!)
Serve immediately! Enjoy!
One Year Ago: Buffalo Chicken Wontons
Cheesy Baked Penne (serves 6-8)
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 small cans diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 pound whole wheat penne, cooked to al dente
- 1 container mozzarella pearls, divided
- ½ grated Parmesan cheese, divided
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat your oven to 400°.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the garlic and sauté until golden, about 2 minutes.
- Add the diced tomatoes, oregano, salt, and pepper.
- Stir to combine.
- Let simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Add the cooked pasta to the sauce.
- Stir and cook for a couple of minutes to coat the pasta with the sauce.
- Pour half of the pasta into a baking dish.
- Add half of mozzarella and half of the Parmesan.
- Add the rest of the pasta and top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Bake until the cheese is melted, about 10 to 15 minutes.
