Pasta. Comfort food. Family-style. Leftovers. Make-ahead. This dish covers so many of the elements required of being a mom and the one in charge of dinner. Because I love to cook and I love to bake you might imagine that I spend blissful days in the kitchen listening to Sinatra, happily cooking away. This just isn’t the case. I have a busy family. I try to help my dad. I watch my granddaughter several times a week. I help my son with homework. I love a chance to either visit or have my other granddaughter and grandson come to visit. Sometimes I clean the house. I’m busy with my church activity. I enjoy taking my son lunch. I write to my missionary. I work in the yard. I want to take a yoga class. I go to baseball and football games. In other words, I am a lot like you. Life can be hectic and sometimes you need something simple but incredibly delicious for your family. That is why I enjoy making and serving this dish.
To me, days have moods. Part of the reason that this recipe is awkwardly lacking in photos is because I made it on a very overcast day and had next to no lighting. The mood of the day called for something that would fill the house with a delicious aroma while providing something filled with flavor and substance to a family who felt like eating their dinner in pajamas. This dish was a perfect choice. Bake or pick up a nice crusty loaf of artisan bread to serve with this dinner. And then, tomorrow, enjoy the other half of why I love this dish–leftovers!
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 5-6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound hamburger, Italian sausage or both or go meatless
- 2 14 oz cans tomato sauce
- 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 pound fresh mozarella, cubed
- 2-3 cups mozarella cheese, grated
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 15 oz tub ricotta cheese
- 1 16 oz package of ziti or penne pasta
- additional cheese for topping
- white pepper
- Heat olive oil in a medium-sized pot over medium heat.
- Add chopped onion and saute until softened.
- Add minced garlic and continue until garlic is just browning.
- Add beef in crumbled portions to the onions and garlic and continue to saute until the beef is well-browned.
- Remove from heat and add ricotta cheese and stir to incorporate.
- Return to heat and add tomato sauce and diced tomatoes and reduce heat to simmer.
- Stir in Italian seasoning, basil, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
- Simmer for about 10-15 minutes while you prepare your noodles and cheeses.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once it has reached a full boil, add 1 Tablespoon of sea salt and add the noodles.
- Cook the noodles until they are not quite done, usually shortening the cooking time by 2 minutes.
- Drain and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Cube 1 pound of fresh mozzarella.
- Grate 2 cups additional mozzarella.
- Grate 1 cup parmeson cheese.
- In a large baking dish (larger than a 9 X 13 if you have it) begin layering your Three Cheese Pasta Bake starting with a thin layer of sauce, followed by one-half of your noodles, one-half of all cheese and one-half of your sauce. Repeat the process.
- Top with additional cheese, a sprinkling of Italian seasoning and a little white pepper.
- Bake at 350° for 45 minutes.
- Allow the bake to stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.
**this is great to make ahead and refrigerate or freeze