Cheesy Pasta Bake

Happy Friday! Are you ready for another pasta recipe? Good, this is why we get along so well.

This cheesy pasta bake has all of the classic flavors and ingredients of a lasagna dish, but in a quicker and more simple version.

Cheesy Pasta Bake
Author: Herbivore Haven
Serves: 8

Ingredients:

• 1 (15 oz.) box uncooked rigatoni*
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 (24 oz) jar pasta sauce, divided
• garlic powder to taste
• black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cook the pasta per box instructions, to al dente. *Use any kind of tube pasta you have on hand (penne, rigatoni, etc.) Rinse and drain. Transfer back into the pan.
2. Spray a 9 x 13" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. In the same pan that you cooked the pasta in, toss the cooked pasta with 1/2 of the jar of pasta sauce. Spread cooked rigatoni/pasta sauce along the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Layer 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle on the top the garlic powder and black pepper to taste. Top with the remaining 1/2 jar of pasta sauce.
3. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the sauce on top is bubbly.
4. Top with remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and let sit until cheese is melted. Serve and enjoy!