How to Make Perfect Baked Pasta Every Time
Baked pasta is a low-cooking dish, so it’s perfect for a busy weekday evening when you just don’t have time to spend an hour or two chopping food and cooking on a hot stove. But to get the perfect, juicy, delicious baked pasta dish out of the box, there is one key trick you must follow.
The secret is in good old water! After adding the rest of the ingredients, make sure you add enough to make the pasta, vegetables, and meats turn into a cheesy and tasty mass. You get something similar to lasagna without any effort. It takes about an hour to prepare this dish, but now you can do anything around the house instead of cooking. You just need a couple of ingredients:
- Pasta : The coarser the better (rigatoni, seashells) as they will withstand the effects of the sauce, but if you only have penne this will do.
- Vegetables : Anything you have in the fridge will do. Zucchini, carrots, onions and mushrooms will be especially tasty.
- Marinara : Aromatic tomato sauce brings it all together. Season a store-bought can of sauce with fresh herbs or garlic.
- Meat (optional): Chopped sausages or meatballs are a good option. Don’t make (or buy) those that are too large or they will be difficult to eat with everything else and may not cook as evenly.
- Cheese (optional): Soft cheese such as mozzarella or ricotta will melt well in this dish.
Put everything in layers in a baking dish, pour two to three glasses of water and cover with foil. Bake at 400 F for an hour and sprinkle with fresh herbs or toasted bread crumbs for a delicious filling.