super pasta, super bowl

superbowl pasta bake

At the last minute I invited a few friends over.  I wanted to test out a recipe that could be the perfect pasta for a superbowl party.  Conclusion:  This is a great recipe and is perfect for any occasion when you want to make a pasta dish that can be made ahead of time, is simple and delicious.   Here’s what I did.

Al Dente Super Pasta Bake

makes 6 generous portions

12 oz. al dente pasta (any flavor, but I used Egg Linguine)

1 jar Monique’s Pasta Sauce (any flavor, but I used Roasted Garlic)

12 oz. fully cooked Italian Sausage, sliced

1/2 cup of water

8 oz. smoked mozzarella, shredded.

1/2 cup Parmesan, grated

1 tsp. salt

Very Specific Directions

( even a beginner cook can make this dish)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add al dente pasta and boil for just 2 minutes.  (It will be slightly undercooked)   Drain the pasta.   Open jar of Monique’s Pasta Sauce.  Put the sauce into the pot in which you cooked the pasta.  Put 1/2 cup of water into the empty sauce jar, swish around so that you can get every last drop of sauce and then pour into pot.  Add sausage, pasta and salt and mix to combine.  Oil your baking dish.  Put 1/2 of the pasta mixture in the baking dish.  Sprinkle 1/2 of the mozzarella and 1/2 of the Parmesan over the pasta.  Add the rest of the pasta and top with the remainder of the cheese.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, until golden.

notes:  I used smoked mozzarella, but regular mozzarella works just fine.  Recipe can be easily doubled to feed a crowd.

Monique's Pasta Sauces

Just in case you can’t find Monique’s Pasta Sauces in your local store, they are available at www.aldentepasta.com. What makes them so special is that they are sweetened with fresh grated carrot instead of sugar or corn syrup.

Watching the Game, Anticipating the Pasta