Mama's Baked Pasta

I am a sucker for those baked pasta dishes at Italian restaurants. Alas, I can't go out to supper every night. So I went for the next best alternative: a baked pasta dish of my own.

The major advantage of Mama's Baked Pasta? Easy-to-prepare hot supper at home and leftovers for the next day's lunchbox. Yummy. It's perfect for a cold rainy day and it's fairly inexpensive. Gee, the more I write, the more smug I feel about this recipe.

This recipe makes four generous servings and is baked in an 8x8" square baking dish. If you have more mouths to feed, double it and use a 9x11" baking dish.

½ pound penne pasta
½ red pepper, chopped
½ onion, chopped finely
1 small can sliced olives, drained
1 small can sliced mushrooms, drained
2 cups of your favorite tomato pasta sauce
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (less if you like less spice)
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated

You can also add some pepperoni, if you're feeling so inclined.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare baking dish with a little cooking spray.

Prepare pasta according to the package directions (and don't skip the salt!). While pasta is cooking, chop the veggies and open and drain the olive and mushroom cans. Grate the cheese. Set aside. Pour the pasta sauce into a large bowl and mix in the red pepper flakes.

When the pasta is cooked and well-drained (but still hot), add it to the bowl with the pasta sauce. Mix well; the pasta should be cooked and a little saucy (add more sauce if you like). Then add in the red pepper, onion, olives, and mushrooms. Mix well and add the grated mozzarella, reserving a handful. Mix everything one last time and then scoop it into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the reserved mozzarella over the top.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes, or until cheese on top is browned and bubbly. Serve with salad and warm bread (that's what the hot oven is for)....and I must insist upon a large glass of wine. Now aren't you fancy?

In addition to the fact that the dish comes together quickly, you can make all sorts of additions or changes. If you prefer fresh mushrooms to canned, you can substitute those. Add a little green pepper with the red pepper. Add some cooked Italian sausage or some pepperoni. Substitute farfalle for the penne, because that's what you have on hand. Skip the red pepper flakes. You make the call.