This meal takes about 1 1/2 hours from start to meal time. This can be prepared earlier on in the day to save on time, but actually finished later while still having the full flavour as if you had just made it, for more convenience. I will do this recipe for about 6-8 people but you can tone it down or build it up, depending on your guest size. This makes as a meal in itself, with a salad or veggie on the side, or you can make a meat to go with it as well as the veggie.

Here is my recipe for baked pasta in alfredo sauce.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp margarine
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 litres milk (depending on how saucy or dry you like your pasta)
1 Tbsp parsley
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste (optional)
Pasta (I like to use scoobie doo/corkscrew or penne)
900g mozzarella cheese (topping)

Take your margarine and melt it in a pot.

Remove it from the heat then add your cornstarch (this thickens your sauce so add less if you like a thinner sauce).
Make sure to blend them very well together so all the cornstarch is mixed with the butter (if you have stuff that isn't mixed in, it will leave chunks that you'll have to fish out later).

Fill the pot with your milk and add your parsley, salt and pepper, the longer you cook your parsley, the softer it becomes and makes for a smoother sauce. Stir this on med/high heat (about a number 7 or 8) until it starts to thicken up, then turn it down to a 3 or 4 where you can stir it a little less often.

Once the sauce is to the thickness you require you may now add your parmesan cheese and stir it in, at this point in time you can turn it down to low, and just let it simmer, stirring it occasionally.

You can boil your water and cook your pasta, and while that is cooking, you can grate your mozzarella cheese (if you haven't already done so).

Take your cooked and drained pasta, add all of your sauce to it (I also like to add a bit of mozzarella into this sauce as well when I am mixing it in).

Top your dish(es) with mozzarella. This is the stage where you can either hold on the baking part, or finish your product. You can bake them into little individual sizes or in one big dish for all to scoop out of.

Bake them uncovered for 15 minutes at 400 to melt the cheese, then for another 2 - 5 minutes on a low broil for slightly browned cheese on top. You can garnish the top with fresh parsley for colour.

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