Three-Cheese Pasta Bake

You can add sautéed mushrooms to the sauce, or sautéed ground beef. Try to keep the sauce simple—you want the variety of cheeses to shine in this dish.


Serves 4 to 6  Prep Time 15 minutes  Cooking Time 20 to 25 minutes

4 cups cooked penne, macaroni, or farfalle
2 cups of your favorite tomato-based pasta sauce
2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, washed, dried, and finely chopped
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup mozzarella, grated
1 cup ricotta
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1 Combine the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl, tossing penne to coat it evenly with sauce.

2  Combine the three cheeses in another bowl, stirring gently to distribute them equally.

3  Layer half of sauce-coated pasta in a 9-inch baking dish. Top with half of the cheese mixture. Repeat.

4  Bake in a 350ºF oven until cheeses have melted and turned nice and golden. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Photography by David Hanson |  Food Styling by Melanie Jimenez |  Prop Styling by Gwyn Guanzon

• Mavs Apr 17 2010 @ 10:21pm Report Abuse

     

  I'm craving for this one now. I want to go to the nearest pasta restaurant. Hu!hu!hu!