Recipe: Baked Penne Pasta

I love a recipe that I can make one night, split it in half before baking, and throw one of  the pans in the freezer for another time. It is such a help to pull something out of the freezer, thaw it out, and bake it without having to do any of the work. Love, love, love it!

This recipe can work two ways: 1) You can make it in a deep 9x13 pan (or an even larger pan), and serve it all in one night to your family; or, 2) You can make it in two separate 8x8 pans, and freeze one for another time. That works really well for my family. The pasta is yummy and rich and can easily feed 6 people with a smaller, 8x8 pan. So, it's up to you. I show you below how I do it in my two 8x8 pans.

Baked Penne Pasta

1 lb. uncooked penne pasta
1 lb. lean ground beef
onion powder
pepper
garlic powder
seasoning salt
2 (26 oz) jars of spaghetti sauce, any flavor
8 slices provolone cheese
1-1/2 cups sour cream
6 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 T. Parmesan cheese, grated

Cook penne pasta according to directions on package, until al dente. Don't forget to generously salt the water!

In a large skillet, brown ground beef. Add onion powder, pepper, a dash of seasoning salt, and garlic powder, according to taste. Add spaghetti sauce and simmer 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 8X8 inch foil baking pans with non-stick cooking spray. Layer the ingredients as follows, in each pan: 1/4 of the penne, 1/4 of the sauce, 4 slices of Provolone, 1/2 of the sour cream, 1/4 penne, 1/4 mozzarella cheese, and 1/4 of sauce mixture. Top with Parmesan cheese and remaining mozzarella cheese.

Bake covered for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheese is melted. Serve with a tossed green salad and warm crusty bread.

While the one 8X8 pan is baking, I take the other one, and seal it well with saran wrap.

Then, I cover it with aluminum foil, making sure to crimp down all the sides.

At this point, I like to label the dish, so that I know just what it is. I also write the date on the label so I am sure to eat it before it gets freezer burn. Then, I fit the cover that comes with the pans over the whole thing, and I put it in the freezer for another day.

When I want to cook it, I take it out the night before and leave it in the refrigerator. Before I put it in the oven, I take the plastic lid off, as well as the saran wrap underneath the foil, and then I replace the foil, and bake. Sometimes it takes just a few more minutes to cook, but since all the ingredients are already cooked, it really is just making sure it's warm all the way through and the cheese is melted.

(Recipe adapted from sixsistersstuff.com)