Monday, October 24, 2011

Baked Spaghetti

Why not?

My husband really enjoys baked pasta dishes. Recently he made the comment that, if it can be done with every other type of pasta, why not spaghetti? I couldn't argue.

As of late I have really enjoyed flexible recipes. Some of you may have noticed how less specific my recipes have gotten. It reflects a couple things. One is that my style of cooking is pretty flexible. I rarely do things the same way each time. The other thing it reflects is my hope that you will not be deterred from trying a recipe just because you are missing one ingredient. Likewise, if you'd rather avoid vegetables for some reason, just leave them out. The point: don't let barriers stop you from making good food for yourself and your family! I really hope you try this recipe out, and that you enjoy it.

Ingredients
  • 1 lb dried long pasta (spaghetti, fettuccine, or linguine are all good choices)
  • olive oil
  • your choice of vegetables, chopped into bite size pieces (I recommend onion, bell pepper, and mushroom)
  • 1 regular size jar of pasta sauce
  • 1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • pinch of dried oregano
Directions
  1. Drizzle a little olive oil into a 13x9 baking dish and spread around to coat. Set aside.
  2. Cook pasta according to package directions.
  3. While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. 
  4. Add your vegetables and saute until they have softened.
  5. Add jar of pasta sauce and turn heat down to low.
  6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  7. Once pasta is cooked, drain and return to pot.
  8. Stir in vegetable-sauce mixture to pasta.
  9. Pour pasta into oiled baking dish. Cover with shredded mozzarella. Sprinkle the dried oregano over top.
  10. Bake pasta at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
  11. After the 20 minutes has passed, turn your oven up to Broil. Broil for 2-3 minutes, watching carefully, until cheese has browned. Remove immediately.
  12. Let cool for up to five minutes before serving.

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