by Jaimi Hemmerich

Created on: August 14, 2009   Last Updated: August 15, 2009

When in doubt, bake pasta!

I think we've all been there; standing in the kitchen wondering what can be made out of the mismatch of ingredients at hand without having to take that dreaded trip to the grocery store. Although a rogue zucchini without its culinary destiny can be alarming, it's not the end of the world. When in doubt, I say, bake pasta!

Here is a simple recipe for a delicious baked pasta dish that will help you use up items lingering in your cabinets and fridge, threatening to go bad. Quick and easy, this will please even the most discerning tastes (yes, my three year old hotdog addict even loves it) without taking up too much of your time. Since the ingredients to this recipe almost solely depend on what you have available, I will tell you how I most commonly make it and let you take it from there.

Ingredients:

About a box of linguine you can use a whole box as well and any pasta will do; that's just part of the beauty of flexibility.
A jar of red pasta sauce could be pizza sauce, marinara, spaghetti sauce, etc.
Mushrooms
Black olives
Onion
Zuchini
Green peppers
Mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese (as a topper)
Pepperoni

Start by cooking your pasta per the directions on the box. Try to undercook the pasta just slightly since it will be baked. Chop up the veggies you are using; in my case, the onion, green peppers and zucchini. When the pasta is done, drain it and place it in the bottom of a baking dish (of appropriate size relative to your pasta and veggies). Layer the veggies, mushroom and olives on the pasta. Top the dish off with the pepperoni (andouille sausage is my favorite with this dish, but I usually don't have any on hand).

Once you have all the pasta, veggies, meat, etc. in the dish, top off with your red pasta sauce. No matter what type of red sauce I use, I have a very special way of spicing it up. It comes from my secret family recipe for pasta sauce, so I won't give you exact amounts. Start with a jar of tomato or red pasta sauce. Add in a couple of diced tomatoes, green peppers, onions, jalapeo (very little and finely chopped), bay leaves, minced or crushed garlic, lemon juice and sugar. Simmer all of the ingredients together.

Finally, layer the pasta bake with mozzarella cheese, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 350. Uncover and bake for approximately 10 more minutes or until the cheese is lightly browned and bubbly. Top with parmesan and serve.

If you want to make the dish a little on the lighter side, use whole grain pasta, low fat or fat free cheese and either omit the meat or use a turkey-based meat that is lower in fat and sodium. Whatever you choose to use, have fun with it!

Bon apptit!

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