Saturday, August 11, 2012

Baked Penne! Shortcut Red Sauce Recipe

 Favorite Shortcut recipes  

If you want a delicious pasta sauce with not much fuss this recipe is for you!

 A very good friend of mine asked me to help her prepare some Italian Food for her about to be daughter- in- law and her family. I decided to make my Italian Porketta and Baked Penne.  I took a shortcut on the sauce recipe and it really turned out wonderful.  My family red sauce recipe is much more involved so I was taking a chance that this would work and it did.  Having said that "if you don't like complicated" this red sauce recipe is for you!

Happy Baking and Cooking!


Oven ready Baked Penne
Porketta  
http://iliketobakeandcook.blogspot.com/2011/05/seasoning-pork-roast-italian-porchetta.html

Shred or cut in large pieces


 2 lb. Penne cooked according to directions
1-24 oz. Whole or part skim milk Ricotta
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Red Sauce with either ground beef or red sauce made with meatballs

1 Huge Can(6 lb. 9 oz.) Hunts or Contadina Sauce (Sam's or Costco)
1-6 oz. Tomato Paste
1 cup water
1 1/2 ground beef
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp. dried basil or 3 fresh basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Saute ground beef in 3 T. canola or olive oil until browned.  Add minced garlic, tomato paste and water.  Cook until mixture starts to simmer.  Add Large tomato sauce, basil, salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat for approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Cook pasta according to directions.  Drain.    In a large lasagna pan place enough sauce to cover bottom of pan.  In the pot that you cooked the pasta place 2 or 3 ladles sauce, add Ricotta cheese and stir well.  Add drained pasta and more sauce until pasta is completely covered with ricotta and sauce.  Place mixture in lasagna pan, add some mozzarella and Italian cheese.  Top with enough sauce to cover pasta.  Sprinkle with  mozzarella, cover with aluminum foil tightly and bake 350 degrees approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour.or until heated through.  Take cover off and place back in oven for a few minutes if necessary to melt mozzarella thoroughly.  Let set 5 minutes.  Serve with large serving spoon or cut in squares in pieces.




8/11/12

2 comments:

Angie's Recipes said...

This must be very tasty!

M. J. Vitelli said...

Thanks Angie! Porchetta is the way my Italian mother in law always seasoned her pork roast and the easy sauce was just a little bit quicker to make today. Trying my hand at seasoning a piece of Beef (round) today. Something to serve on crusty rolls. Have a great day!