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!

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Pasta with Mediterranean Veggies

Sometimes there are dishes that you want to make 4 or 5 times because they are that good. And sometimes there are dishes that you double or triple the ingredients because you want to eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the next two weeks... That's usually how pasta dishes go for me. There's no such thing as too much pasta. It just... doesn't happen.

Penne pasta has to be my favorite kind of pasta. Toss together a few fresh vegetables, fresh herbs, and olive oil in a skillet, add it to the pasta, and top it with a bit of cheese, and you have yourself a warm, cheesy, healthy vegetable pasta dish in no time!

Pasta with Mediterranean Veggies

Author: Herbivore Haven, Adapted from: Vegetarian: 3 Books in 1
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 8 oz uncooked Penne pasta
• 1 can (15 oz) navy beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 medium green bell pepper, roughly chopped
• 1 small zucchini, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (14 oz) stewed tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons basil
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to box directions, to al dente. During the last minute of cooking the pasta, add the navy beans.
2. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spray the skillet with non-stick cooking spray. Add the roughly chopped bell pepper and zucchini. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the edges are starting to brown, stirring often. Add the minced garlic; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add the stewed tomatoes and basil. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the olive oil.
3. Drain the pasta and navy beans and transfer to a serving platter. Spoon the tomato mixture over the pasta and top with Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese.

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Classic Stuffed Shells

Be prepared, today we're going classic. And cheesy. Melty cheese, tomato sauce and a creamy triple cheese filling stuffed inside a cute pasta shell? It's the ultimate comfort food. Simple, delicious and satisfying.

This dish has all of the flavors of a classic lasagna, but even cuter. And maybe even easier.

The cheesy goodness and incredible aroma was so irresistible, the shells almost didn't make it through their photo shoot...

Classic Stuffed Shells
Author: Herbivore Haven
Serves: 5

Ingredients:

• 20 jumbo pasta shells
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce (I used jarred traditional)
• 15 oz skim milk ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus 1/4 cup for topping
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 4 cups packed fresh spinach, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Cook the pasta shells in water with a splash of olive oil and a pinch of salt, per box instructions, to al dente. Rinse and strain. Set aside.
2. Roughly chop the fresh spinach. In a skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Once the oil heats up, add the minced garlic and cook until the garlic starts to brown. Add the fresh spinach to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally. Cook the spinach for about 3 minutes, or until the leaves are wilted, but still green. The spinach should greatly reduce in size. Remove from heat and let cool.
3. In a large bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, egg, spinach, basil, salt and pepper until thoroughly combined.
4. Pour 1/2 cup of the spaghetti sauce into a shallow baking dish. (I used a 13 x 9 glass casserole dish). Spread the sauce evenly over the bottom of the dish. Stuff each cooked pasta shell with a heaping spoonful of the cheese mixture and place into the dish in a single layer. Spoon the remaining 1 cup of spaghetti sauce over the prepared shells.
5. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese on top is golden brown and the sauce is bubbling. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese over the shells. Enjoy!

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Tomato Basil Spaghetti

When it comes to food, pasta is my first love. You really can't go wrong with pasta. With just a handful of ingredients I had in my pantry and fridge, I had a delicious pasta dish in less than 30 minutes. What could be better? Warm spaghetti with fresh, juicy tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and fresh basil, I'm drooling...

The ingredients work great with any pasta, mix it up, use whatever pasta you have on hand. Add some olives or fresh mozzarella. Eat it cold, eat it warm. Anything goes with fresh tomatoes and basil! It goes great with garlic bread, too. Mm!

Tomato Basil Spaghetti
Author: Organic Cafe
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 3 large tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 clove of garlic, OR 1 tablespoon minced garlic*
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 oz. spaghetti (half of a 16 oz box)
• salt and pepper to taste
• fresh basil, roughly chopped for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Dice the tomatoes, as big or as small as you prefer. Roughly chop the fresh basil.
2. Cut a clove of garlic in half and rub it on the inside of a large bowl. *I used a tablespoon of minced garlic from a jar, put it inside a paper towel, and rubbed the inside of the bowl. Dispose of the garlic. Add to the bowl the tomatoes, basil, shredded mozzarella cheese, olive oil and salt and pepper (to taste). Combine just until the tomatoes are coated with the liquid. Set aside for about 15 minutes, so the tomatoes soak up the liquid.
3. In the meantime, cook the spaghetti, per box instructions, to al dente. Rinse and strain. (I used half of a 16 oz box for 4 servings)
4. Pour the tomato basil mixture over the spaghetti, toss until just combined, and top with a sprinkle of fresh basil. Enjoy with your favorite garlic bread!

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Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

This macaroni and cheese has been calling my name for about a week now. And it's okay to spoil yourself with creamy, cheesy, buttery, garlicky mac and cheese once in while, right? Right.

I got this recipe from my mother, it's been one of our favorite meals for as long as I can remember. The nice part about this recipe is there is no cheese sauce. Just, well, macaroni and cheese, so prep time is short and easy. It's also a meal in itself, and it's definitely a crowd-pleaser, too!

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese
Author: Herbivore Haven
Serves: 8

Ingredients:

• 1 16 oz. box macaroni noodles
• 1 cup 2% milk
• 1 16 oz. block extra sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter, cubed
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic, or to taste
• 1/2 cups sliced tomatoes (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cook macaroni noodles, per box instructions, to al dente. Rinse and drain. Set aside.
2. Cut the 16 oz. block of extra sharp cheddar cheese into thin slices. In a small bowl, mix the shredded cheddar cheese with the pepper. (You can use any shredded cheese you have on hand, I have used mozzarella, colby jack, etc.)
3. In a large casserole dish, layer the macaroni and slices of extra sharp cheddar cheese. Be sure to start the bottom layer with macaroni, as the bowl can be hard to clean if the cheese is the bottom layer. Make each layer of macaroni about 3 inches thick. Cover the layer of macaroni with about half of the sharp cheddar cheese slices and half of the shredded cheese/pepper mixture. Add another layer of macaroni, about 3 inches thick again. Top with the remaining cheese slices and shredded cheddar cheese/pepper mixture. Place the cubes of butter on the top layer. Top with the minced garlic and an extra dash of black pepper.
4. Add about a cup of milk to the casserole dish. You’ll want to fill the dish half way with milk.
5. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour or until the cheese on top is melted and golden brown. If you’re adding tomatoes to the top layer, do so when there is 20 minutes of cooking time remaining. Place back in the oven for the remaining 20 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!

Notes: The amount of cheese you want to use is totally up to you! You don't necessarily need to add as much cheese as stated in the recipe. You can use any type of shredded cheese for the topping, I usually use what I have on hand. Tomatoes are a delicious topping!

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