Cheesy Baked Pasta

This dish is the ultimate weeknight fare for me right now. It can be made in pieces, or cobbled together from leftovers, then baked and served in the kind of time that allows for a meal earlier in the evening than just before bedtime.

I made a pot of Basic Tomato Pasta Sauce one evening, and enjoyed it on pasta the next evening. I then took a third evening to cook some more noodles, shred some mozzarella, chop some olives, and pile everything together in a casserole dish. I’d done this before, of course, with leftover pasta sauce, but this time I measured the ingredients so I could write up a recipe.

As a recipe, this is not very concrete. I usually just use whatever I have on hand. The basic recipe below is a good representation of what usually happens, although sometimes I also use leftover cooked noodles, or stir in other things. Most commonly, I’ll add or replace some of the mozzarella with other cheeses, such Parmesan or ricotta.

Some other good additions would be sautéed bell peppers and onions, sun-dried tomatoes, leftover cooked winter squash or other roasted vegetables, sautéed greens, or cooked or cured meats. Think favorites pasta and pizza toppings here. A good combination might be pepperoni, cooked Italian sausage, and sautéed peppers for a pizza-flavored pasta bake. Or sneak in just about any vegetable you’re trying to make yourself or someone else eat, such as shredded or sautéed zucchini. I used black olives, but you could use Kalamata or even green olives. Add some feta and capers for a whole new flavor profile. 

You can make this dish up a day or two ahead of time. Cover it and refrigerate it until you wish to bake and serve it. Keep in mind that if you are starting with a cold dish, you will need a longer baking time to turn it into a properly hot dish. You can even make as much of this as you want and warm up the leftovers all week if you are experiencing busy times and want to streamline weeknight dinners, or liven up your reheated lunch possibilities.

Mozzarella and Olive Baked Pasta

I used Basic Tomato Pasta Sauce to make this dish

Add, subtract, mix and match your favorite pizza and pasta dish ingredients to enhance this to your personal taste.

This dish can be made ahead and refrigerated for a day or two. Increase the baking time if starting with a refrigerated mixture.

8 ounces uncooked short cut pasta (such as rotini or penne)

2 ½ cups chunky tomato-based pasta sauce (your favorite)

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

1 cup chopped black olives

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a shallow 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray, or grease it with olive oil.

2. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until it is slightly firmer than you like to eat it. (It will cook more in the oven and you don’t want the pasta to get too mushy.) Drain the pasta and transfer it to a large bowl.

3. Add the pasta sauce, 2 cups shredded mozzarella and olives to the pasta. Stir together to combine well.

4. Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish. Cover and bake at 350 F for 30 minutes, or until the mix is bubbly and the cheese is melted. Uncover and bake about 5 more minutes until the cheese on top is bubbly, or however you like it. Let stand about 5 minutes and serve.

Makes about 6 main-dish servings.

Other recipes like this one: Spaghetti Pie, Chicken and Vegetable Tetrazzini, Corn and Bean Skillet Pasta