Welcome to my food blog! I am your average home cook and I want to share my love of food with the world. I'll divulge my recipes as often as possible. Feel free to comment or to email me at nodessertpodcast@gmail.com! Don' forget to come by often for new posts... I love having you visit me!







Showing posts with label pasta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pasta. Show all posts

November 3, 2020

French Onion Beef Casserole - Home Cooked Recipe #87

 Tis the season for comfort food! And what is more comforting then a creamy casserole? Nada. I present to you the French onion beef casserole. It is easy to make, great for a weeknight, and inexpensive. It is a delicious dish that is perfect for the fall/winter season.

French Onion Beef Casserole

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1/2 package egg noodles, cooked according to package directions
  • 1 can cream of onion soup (really, any cream soup you have would work)
  • 1 8 ounce container of French onion dip (I use a refrigerated brand)
  • French's fried onions
  • salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. While egg noodles are cooking, brown ground beef with diced onion. When beef is browned drain and season with salt and pepper. Mix together noodles, beef mixture, soup, and dip. Pour in to greased 9x13 baking dish. Top with fried onions. Bake for 30 minutes. Enjoy!






January 9, 2020

Slow Cooker Ravioli Casserole - CROCK*POT CAFE 14

I love a versatile dish that basically cooks itself. I came across a couple recipes on the internet for a similar dish and thought I would try it with my own spins on it. It is a super easy recipe that you can let cook while you are out of the house. There are many ways to make it your own and I will include some of those tips.

Slow Cooker Ravioli Casserole

Ingredients:
  • 16oz bag frozen cheese ravioli (you can also use a meat filled if you prefer. Or really ravioli with any filling you like. It's up to you! You can also use refrigerated ravioli but I would reduce the cook time in half if you do)
  • 1 jar of your favorite tomato sauce (I prefer Ragu meat flavored)
  • 3 oz of pesto (I used 1/2 a jar of pesto from Aldi - you can make your own or use another brand)
  • 8 oz heavy cream

***Optional: Some great additions include shredded mozzarella (which I would have used but I did not have any on hand), parmesan, ground beef, sausage, pepperoni, bell peppers, and much more. Just throw them on top before cooking!

Directions
Spray your crock pot with cooking spray. Layer in half the jar of tomato sauce. Pour on the raviolis. Pour on the remaining tomato sauce. Mix together the heavy cream and pesto and then pour over the top. Cook on low for 4 hours. Serve with garlic bread and a salad. Enjoy!

***I did not get a picture of the finished product but it basically looked like a baked ravioli dish and hubs loved it!

November 1, 2019

Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta -Instant Pot Inspirations #1

I have had an Instant Pot for almost 2 years now. It literally took me a year and a half from when I got it to take it out of the box and use it. I was nervous about how the whole pressure thing would work. I am so glad I finally got up the courage because I absolutely love it! I have the 6 quart IP-DUO model. After watching endless YouTube videos, mostly from Pressure Luck, I have ventured into pressure cooking and it is going well. I made this particular recipe this week and both hubs and I loved it. He said it was the most tender chicken we've ever made. That's a pretty big deal! You definitely have to have an Instant Pot to exactly replicate this recipe. But you could also use the ingredients as a guideline to make a delicious pasta dish using traditional cooking methods. But really, get yourself an Instant Pot because it is really fun to cook in and does SO many things! You can find the original recipe, by Pressure Luck, HERE.

Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta -Instant Pot Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 2 chicken breasts, diced into bite size chunks
  • 2 lemons, juiced
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups garlic broth ***see note
  • 1 box (12 oz) penne
  • 1 tbs capers
  • 1-2 cans artichoke hearts (I omitted this because hubs is not a fan)
  • 4 tbs butter
  • 1 shallot, diced (I used a small onion)
  • 1 tbs garlic, minced (about 3 cloves)
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan
  • salt and pepper

***note - to make garlic broth you use a tablespoon of Better Than Bouillon garlic flavor in 2 cups of water. If you don't want to go to the trouble, just sub 2 more cups of chicken broth and add a sprinkly of garlic powder

Directions:
Add butter to your Instant Pot and hit "saute". The saute function should be on the high setting. Once the butter melts, add your shallot/onion. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes and then add the garlic and the chicken. Cook an additional 2 minutes (the chicken will not be cooked through at this point. That's ok, the pressure cooking finishes the chicken completely). Add your broth and lemon juice. Add in your box of pasta on top and gently press down into the broth/chicken mixture but DO NOT STIR. Put your Instant Pot on the Pressure Cook setting on high for 6 minutes. Use the Quick Release when the 6 minutes is up. At this point stir in your artichoke hearts (if using), cream, and capers. Stir well. Serve with additional Parmesan. Enjoy!



January 29, 2019

Creamy Tortellini Soup - Pinterest Pick #24

Two years ago I made a delicious tortellini soup (you can find that recipe HERE). Because the weather has actually been pretty cold this winter in FL I was looking for comforting soup, stew, and one pot meal recipes. I came across this recipe on Pinterest for CREAMY tortellini soup and I remembered how good my other recipe was, so I decided to give it a try. Both hubs and I loved it! And it fit the bill for a comforting soup dinner on a chilly night.  Not to mention you make it in your slow cooker so it's super easy as well. I made a couple of adjustments, as I always do. Instead of both cans of diced tomatoes I only used 1 can and then a can of plain tomato sauce. I used frozen spinach instead of fresh. And because my diced tomatoes were plain and not Italian style, I spiced up the soup with a couple of dashes of garlic salt, a big pinch of Italian seasoning, and lots of black pepper. Also, I made this soup without meat for meatless Monday, but you can easily add in some chicken or sausage if you choose. You can find the original pin HERE and the original recipe is listed on the pin, it does not link to a website. 

Creamy Tortellini Soup

Ingredients:

  • 1 bag of frozen tortellini
  • 1 box (10 oz) frozen spinach (or a bag of fresh baby spinach)
  • 2 cans diced tomatoes (or 1 can of diced, and 1 can of tomato sauce)
  • 1 block of cream cheese, cut into 4 chunks
  • 1 carton chicken broth
  • garlic salt
  • black pepper
  • Italian seasoning

***Parmesan cheese for topping (optional)
***Garlic bread for serving (optional)

Directions:
Put all ingredients in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 4 hours. Enjoy!





December 26, 2018

Copycat Calypso Shrimp Linguine with Scallops - Home Cooked Recipe #83

I recently went to lunch with some girlfriends to Bahama Breeze. It is the first time I have been there in years and years. I had a lighter portion of their Calypso Shrimp Linguine. Although I was not in love with their prices, I WAS in love with this pasta dish and wish I had ordered the regular size portion. I scoured the internet looking for copycat recipes and I found some! They all had the exact same ingredients so I wrote it down and made it myself!  There are a couple of small tweaks I made to the recipe. I did not cook the scallions, but mainly used them for a garnish on top. Instead I used 1/2 of a small diced onion during the actual cooking. And I topped mine with loads of grated Parmesan, because CHEESE. Plus I added scallops as well because the more shellfish the better I say. Bonus, I made the recipe on October 17th, which is National Pasta Day!

Copycat Calypso Shrimp Linguine

Ingredients:

  • 1 box linguine
  • 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 lb bay scallops
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1/2 small onion, diced
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3 scallions, sliced
  • 2 tbs diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan 
  • 1 cup clam juice
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 4 tbs blackening seasoning (I make my own but you could use store bought)
  • 1 tsp cayenne
  • salt and pepper


Directions:
Whisk together clam juice, chicken broth, blackening seasoning, and cayenne. Refrigerate until ready to use (you can make this ahead of time). Cook linguine according to package directions, While linguine is cooking, heat up a large saute pan on medium high. Add butter. Saute onion for 2 to 3 minutes. Season shrimp and scallops with salt and pepper and saute in butter/onions until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add in broth and heavy cream. Simmer for 5 minutes. Toss in cooked linguine until well coated. Plate. Garnish with scallions, tomatoes, and Parmesan. Enjoy!




March 2, 2017

Tortellini Soup - Home Cooked Recipe #76

Well, there was not much of a winter here in FL this year. And now that it's March I don't expect it to be very chilly for quite a while.  But sometimes you just want a good bowl of soup! And I have a great recipe for a creamy tortellini soup that has some yummy veggies in it as well.

Tortellini Soup

Ingredients:

  • 1 carton of chicken broth
  • 1 can tomato soup (I use Campbell's)
  • 1 can diced tomatoes (14.5oz)
  • 1 tbs tomato paste
  • 2 tbs sundried tomatoes
  • 1 pkg frozen tortellini
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 2 zucchini, chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • salt and pepper
  • red pepper flakes
  • olive oil


Directions:
Saute onion in a small bit of olive oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and a dash of red pepper flaked. Stir in garlic, saute for a minute. Add in carrots, saute another 5 minutes. Squeeze in tomato paste and let cook for a minute. Add in zucchini, tomatoes, tomato soup, and chicken broth. Stir well and let simmer for 15 minutes. Pour in package of tortellini and let cook for the time the package suggests. Whisk in heavy cream, cook for 1 minute, then remove from heat. Serve with a nice salad and garlic bread. Enjoy! ***NOTE: You can also make this in a slow cooker. Just put everything in your slow cooker except tortellini and heavy cream and cook over low for 4 hours. Then add tortellini, cook on high 10 minutes. Stir in cream and turn off slow cooker. Easy!***







October 19, 2016

3 Cheese Stuffed Shells - Home Cooked Recipe #75

Wellllll it has been quite awhile since I have posted a new recipe!  My apologies, this year has been super crazy with planning a wedding that is now less than 2 months away!  Bare with me for the rest of the year, I will post when I can and I promise, next year will be better!  The recipe I am bringing you today is a simple one that tastes delicious and is definitely comfort food. Italian, cheesy, pasta.... Yum! I served these with meat sauce and meatballs on the side, but you can keep it meat free by not adding those additions.  Serve with a salad and garlic bread!

3 Cheese Stuffed Shells

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 box of jumbo shells, cooked according to package directions 
  • 16 oz ricotta
  • 4 oz shredded mozzarella
  • 1 cup grated parmesan
  • 1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce (I use Ragu Traditional)
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350
While pasta is draining and cooling enough to handle, spread half the jar of sauce in the bottom of a baking dish.  Mix together egg, ricotta, and half the parmesan. When shells are cool enough to handle, fill each shell with cheese mixture and place in bottom of baking dish on top of sauce.  Top filled shells with remaining sauce and sprinkle on remaining parmesan.  Sprinkle on mozzarella and bake for 30-45 minutes.
Enjoy!




May 31, 2016

Sundried Tomato and Shrimp Pasta - Home Cooked Recipe #73

I have been eating a lot of shrimp lately so I am always on the look out for new recipes to try.  I was perusing a couple and came up with this dish that contains some of my Mediterranean favorites, sundried tomatoes and feta cheese!  Easy enough to make on a weeknight, it's great to try this spin on a pasta and shrimp dish.

Sundried Tomato and Shrimp Pasta

Ingredients:
  • 12 oz thin spaghetti (or use whatever pasta you like)
  • 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined (mine also were tail off)
  • salt and pepper
  • olive oil
  • 1 shallot, minced (this can be omitted or you can use another kind of onion)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbs tomato paste
  • 1 tbs butter
  • 1 tbs flour
  • 1 to 2 cups chicken broth (or seafood, or veggie)
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped (I used the kind in oil)
  • 1/2 cup feta crumbles

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile, toss shrimp with olive oil and salt and pepper.  Saute over medium heat for 5 minutes or until shrimp is cooked through.  Remove shrimp and add shallots and garlic.  Let cook 1 minute, then add butter.  Saute 1 more minute then add tomato paste and saute a few more minutes.  Add flour and stir well.  Cook for 2 minutes then add broth.  Add lemon juice and sundried tomatoes and mix well.  Reduce heat to low and stir in cream until completely combined. Remove from heat and mix well with pasta.  Plate and top with crumbled feta.
Enjoy!

March 29, 2016

Lemon Pepper Chicken - Pinterest Pick #13 BONUS RECIPE TOO

A post where you get TWO recipes at one time?  Yup, it's happening!  I was reviewing all my recipes to make that I had pinned on Pinterest, and I found two that complimented each other to make a great dinner.  So one night, I made them both!  The tangy lemon pepper chicken breaks up the creaminess and richness of the pasta.  This chicken is simple, and great for any dinner or lunch.  You don't have to serve it with pasta.  It would be great on a salad, with rice, or whatever side you want to serve it with. You can find the original pin for the chicken HERE and the original pin for the pasta HERE.

Lemon Pepper Chicken

Ingredients:
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 tbs lemon pepper seasoning (I use Lawry's)
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 2 tbs grated parmesan


Directions:
Place all ingredients except parmesan in a ziploc bag or airtight container and mix well.  Marinate chicken for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350.
Place chicken on foil-lined backing sheet and sprinkle with parmesan. Bake for 30-45 minutes.
Enjoy!

BONUS!!!
Four Cheese Garlic Spaghetti
Ingredients:

  • 8 oz thin spaghetti
  • 1 cup cooking water
  • mix of chicken and broth in water to cook pasta in 
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tbs butter
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 2 cups four cheese Italian cheese blend (shredded)


Directions:
Cook pasta in mix of chicken broth and water until pasta is al dente.  Reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid.  Drain pasta.
Saute garlic in olive oil and butter for 1 minute.  Add in pasta, pasta water, and heavy cream.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and stir in cheese.  Cook for a couple of minutes so sauce can thicken.
Enjoy!




September 29, 2015

Lasagna Roll-Ups - Home Cooked Recipe #69

The great thing about the following, is that it's super versatile.  You can change out the filling, the cheeses, the sauce... You can really make it your own and still follow the same basic steps!

Lasagna Roll-Ups (Spinach/Artichoke/Roasted Pepper Alfredo - Vegetarian)

Ingredients
6 lasagna noodles, cooked, drained, and cooled (you can easily double this)
4 oz ricotta cheese

4 oz shredded mozzarella
4 oz frozen spinach, cooked
1 roasted red bell pepper, divided
4 canned artichokes, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup grated parmesan
4 tbs butter
garlic powder
salt and pepper


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Melt butter in saucepan over medium.  Add salt, pepper, and a couple dashes of garlic powder.  Chop roasted red pepper into a small dice.  Add half to pan. Saute 5 minutes. Add cream, bring to a boil, reduce to low, and stir in parmesan.
Stir together ricotta, half of mozzarella, spinach, artichokes, and other half of roasted pepper.  Season with salt, pepper, and a dash of garlic powder. Divide mixture into 6, and spread each section on one of the lasagna noodles.  Roll up.  
Place a couple spoonfuls of sauce into the bottom of baking dish.  Place rolls in pan.  Cover with remaining sauce.  Sprinkle remaining mozzarella on top.  Cover with foil, bake for 20 minutes.  Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes.
Enjoy!




June 12, 2015

Simply Sides 19 - Classic Pasta Salad

Pasta salad runs rampant in the summertime!  I like all sorts of salads that involve pasta, but this one is a classic.  A light, mayo-less dressing with a few hearty ingredients and a few fresh ingredients.  It should be a go to for any BBQ!

Classic Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

  • 1 12-16oz box rotini
  • 1 packet of italian dressing seasoning
  • 3 tbs water
  • 2 tbs oil
  • 1/2 cup bottled italian dressing
  • 1 roasted red pepper, diced
  • 1 small can sliced black olives
  • 1 handful shredded mozzarella
  • 1 diced fresh tomato
  • 1/2 lb salami, diced

***optional: sliced or diced red onion, diced cucumber, swap mozzarella for provolone, grated parmesan

Directions:
Boil pasta as package directs.  Drain and let cool.  While pasta is cooling, mix seasoning packet, oil, and water in a bowl.  Toss with pasta until well combined.  Add in all other ingredients and mix well.  Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.
Enjoy!

March 13, 2014

Goulash - Home Cooked Recipe 45

This recipe is affordable, filling, and easy to make.  Perfect for people who are on a budget, and/or are in need of a quick dish.  I have  been eating this my whole life.  My mom has been making it forever, and when I ventured out on my own it was one of the first recipes I asked her for.  Beef and macaroni... What could be better?

Goulash

Ingredients
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 8 ounces elbow macaroni
  • 8 ounce can tomato sauce
  • 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 bell pepper, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • salt and pepper
  • ***optional, other spices such as paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder (I use a teaspoon of each)
  • ***in my family we have always topped ours with hot sauce and parmesan cheese, feel free to use what you like (i.e. shredded cheddar, green onion, parsely, etc)

Directions:
Cook elbow macaroni according to package instructions.  Drain and set aside.  Brown your ground beef.  When it is halfway done, add in the onion and bell pepper.  When beef is almost done, stir in garlic and spices.  Next stir in tomato paste and let cook out for a minute or two.  Add in diced tomatoes and tomato sauce.  Mix well and let cook on medium for 5 minutes.  Turn heat to low and stir in elbow macaroni.  Let combine for a few minutes, then it's ready to serve.  Top with parmesan and/or hot sauce to taste.
Enjoy!


December 27, 2013

Restaurant Review 17 - Olive Garden

Oh the chain restaurants!  Some people love 'em and some people hate 'em.  For me, it depends on the restaurant.  But I will tell you, I LOVE Olive Garden!  I don't care if it's "fake" Italian food, it tastes pretty good.  Some of my favorite items include fettuccine alfredo, the portabello ravioli, the eggplant parmigiana, and of course, their salad.  *As a side note, they now sell their salad dressing in grocery stores.  I found it recently at Walmart for around $3.  A good dressing, not exactly like the restaurant version, but pretty close.*
On a recent visit to the Olive Garden, I tried one of their new dishes off their Tastes and Toasts of Italy menu, the Crispy Risotto Bites. Delish! For $5 we got 6 rice balls.  Risotto and cheese are rolled in bread crumbs, fried til crisp, and served on a bed of marinara (with more cheese on top if you choose - and we did!).  They had good flavor, were crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside as promised.  Also off that menu I chose a cocktail, the Moscato Aperol Cocktail - light and refreshing, this is a must try.  
Normally I get the fettuccine or the ravioli, but for lunch today I got the eggplant parmigiana.  It was a great size portion for lunch, but I was a little surprised the price was comparable to their dinner prices.  Disappointing.  My companion got their new Italiano Burger.  I forgot to take a picture but let me tell you, I had a bite and it was one of the best burgers I've had in a long time.  Covered in prosciutto, mozzarella, arugula, and marinated tomatoes, and a creamy parmesan garlic aioli...  Mmmm mmmm mmm.  Get there for lunch, you WANT to have this burger.  
They have a multitude of dessert options, my favorite being the Black Tie Mousse Cake.  But on this visit I had one of their Dolcinis, little tastes of dessert.  I went with the chocolate mousse dolcini.  It was good, the perfect size for a small sweet bite.  It satisfied my dessert craving without pushing me over the edge.  I am a little upset about how high some of their dessert prices have become, I remember when the mousse cake was only $4 and now it's over $7... Just seems a little excessive.
Olive Garden is still one of my favorite chains.  I eat their a few times a year, usually when they are running some kind of special, like the Buy One, Take One deal.  For $12.99 you got a full size meal there (mine was the asiago fettuccine alfredo - yum) complete with salad or soup and bread sticks, and then an entree to take home (I chose the Five Cheese Ziti al Forno - a new favorite!).  That promotion is over, but it was such a great deal, and I hope they bring it back soon.
To learn more about Olive Garden, and to check out their menu and current specials visit Olive Garden

Bread Sticks

Berry Sangira



Zuppa Toscana


September 3, 2013

Restaurant Review 15 - Victorio's Oyster Bar & Grille

When talking about overcoming my food fears, I can safely tell you for 20+ years of my life I was TERRIFIED of raw meat and seafood.  As I became a more intense foodie, I realized I was going to have to overcome some of my food fears, and this included being able to eat raw meats/fish.  I was close to 30 before I ate raw oysters, tuna, and other seafoods for the 1st time.  I still have trouble eating some foods raw (mostly because of a texture issue, not necessarily because they're raw), but I LOVE raw tuna and oysters!
This brings me to the reason for my post... Victorio's Oyster Bar and Grille.  It's a restaurant that started in Longwood, FL and since has expanded to several locations in the metro Orlando area, including in Apopka, Titusville, and Oviedo.  My buddy Ed recently started working there, and after hearing how delicious the food is from several people, my boyfriend and I ventured over to the Apopka location.
Victorio's has an extensive menu, and if you want a sneak peak check it out at: Victorio's Menu
On my visit we started with... OYSTERS!  I prefer them raw to steamed or fried.  We got a dozen, at a fairly reasonable price of $9.95 (***disclaimer: this price can change according to current market prices).  They were HUGE!  I believe they were in from Louisiana, and I'm not going to lie, I had to cut a couple in half to eat them they were so large.  But they were fresh, cold, sweet, and juicy.  Topped with lemon, cocktail sauce, and horseradish (my condiments of choice) they were divine and a great starter.  Definitely get the oysters if you go, whether you get them raw, steamed, or fried, they are worth it.
For my entree I enjoyed the shrimp alfredo.  It was a huge portion of pasta that could have easily made two or three meals.  I brought some home and had it as my lunch the next day.  There were 6 large shrimp included, and from what I understand the sauce is made from scratch on premises everyday.  My dinner was also accompanied by garlic knots, and if you don't know, I'm a sucker for a good garlic knot.
My date ordered the unlimited fish and chips.  You can eat as much fish and chips as you like for 9.99.  The fish was fresh and flaky and fried to crisp perfection.  I tried the tarter sauce and it was scrumptious.  
Victorio's also has Italian food as well as the seafood options.  I've heard pretty good things about their pizzas and calzones.  I've also seen coupons for the restaurant so if you're on a budget, keep a look out,
For more info about the restaurant and its locations, visit their website at:
Victorio's






May 2, 2013

Simply Sides 2 - Lemon Parmesan Orzo

This week I wanted to bring you another side dish recipe for our new sublabel.  As I stated in the last post about side dishes, I think the sides to a meal are a crucial part of making your meal delicious, and special, and often side dishes can be used as a main meal.  This week the recipe is for Lemon Parmesan Orzo, and it is a pasta side that can brighten up your chicken or fish dinner.
Finished Orzo

Lemon Parmesan Orzo

Ingredients:
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 cup grated parmesan
2 tbs butter
salt and pepper
3 cups broth (whatever variety you like, I used chicken broth, you can also use water)
1 1/2 cups orzo


Directions:

Orzo Toasting
Melt butter in the bottom of a saucepan.  Add in orzo and lightly saute until slightly toasted.  Add broth, bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes (make sure ALL broth is absorbed in to the pasta). Remove from heat, stir in salt and pepper, lemon, and parmesan.  You can serve this as a hot OR cold side dish.  Enjoy!

March 7, 2013

Baked Pasta - Home Cooked Recipe 37

Everyone needs an easy go-to weeknight meal right?  I know I certainly do.  I was browsing Pinterest (one of my favorite apps) and came across this quick and easy pasta bake that's a great meal.  A few ingredients, a few steps, and presto! Dinner on the table with little effort.

Pasta Bake

Ingredients:
1 box (12-16oz) your favorite pasta (I used bowties)
1/2 a jar of Alfredo sauce
1/2 a jar of your favorite tomato sauce
1/2 a package shredded mozzarella (4oz)
Parmesan, grated

Directions:







Preheat oven to 350.
Cook your pasta according to package instructions, draining 1 minute shy of what the box recomends.  Meanwhile, mix together the two sauces in a baking dish - I find no need to do this in a separate bowl, mixing them together in the dish you'll be baking in works just fine.  Add drained pasta and mix well.  Add 1/2 the mozzarella, and mix well.  Sprinkle remaining mozzarella over the top, then sprinkle parmesan over the top to your liking (I like a lot!).  Bake for 30mins. 
Enjoy!