Inspiring People to Cook Again
Ingredients My grandma and my mom made homemade Italian Sunday Sauce (some call it Sunday Gravy) almost every Sunday when I was growing up. For me, this is the best recipe for Sunday Sauce on the planet. It reminds me of growing up in a […]
Creamy spicy garlic butter tuscan shrimp in a light and creamy garlic parmesan sauce with sun dried tomatoes. Hold the pasta for a low carb keto approved / keto friendly meal! Everyone loves shrimp and garlic. Shrimp scampi, spicy garlic shrimp and other shrimp recipes are […]
In my mind, Italian food is synonymous with comfort food. I mean when I think of a fill-your-belly-and-soul sort of meal, I think of “pasta”, “macaroni”, or whatever you want to call it, but it makes me happy. One of my favorite Italian comfort foods is what my family calls Baked Macaroni.
My grandmother made this dish and she taught my mom and now my mom has passed it on to me. It has everything I love in a pasta dish and reminds me of being a kid again. It’s super easy and you can, as with most of the food I make, customize it with add-ins like sautéed mushrooms, ground beef or by making your own home made sauce. Italian food for the most part is simple peasant food – simple food that is for the most part easy to prepare.
I think “unpretentious and tasty” describes this dish to a tee. It starts with 5 simple ingredients and ends with a bubbling casserole the whole family will love.
Ingredients:
Grating the cheese is something I like to do but on the days I want to save time I buy it already grated. I also like to undercook the pasta so that it’s still firm because when you bake it, the pasta will continue to cook. For that reason, I don’t want the pasta to get too soft or too mushy when it bakes. I find that cooking the macaroni 3 minutes less than recommended on the packaging works well but this is just my preference. You can always cook your macaroni the way you like it.
Instructions:
Preheat oven to oven to 350°F
Lightly spray a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish with cooking spray. Add about 2 cups of marinara sauce to the dish. Pour in half of the pasta and toss well. Sprinkle with half of the grated cheese, then dollop 1/2 of the ricotta cheese on top of the macaroni. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the shredded mozzarella then repeat the steps by adding the rest of the pasta and the other ingredients, ending with a topping of sprinkled mozzarella.
Cover lightly with aluminum foil, making sure the foil is not resting on the cheese and bake in the oven for 35 minutes. Then remove foil and bake uncovered for another 10 – 15 minutes until center is warm and bubbling.
Remove from oven and let cool 10 -15 minutes before serving.
Once I layer in half the pasta with some sauce, I then add some grated cheese, dollop on the ricotta and then top with some shredded mozzarella and then repeat.
I think if you try this dish your family will love it just like my family has for generations.
Cook’s Tips:
Cooking the macaroni a few minutes less than recommended on the packaging helps to keep it from getting too soft when it bakes in the oven.
Sautéed mushrooms or browned ground beef go well in this dish too.
Oven Baked Chicken Parmesan (also Parmigiana) with homemade marinara sauce and spaghetti is a favorite dish in my house. I love to make it for Sunday Pasta or when we have a family party. Since we are Italian there are a lot of family parties. […]
Pasta and broccoli is a delicious vegetarian dish that reminds me of being a kid. My mom was a busy workingwoman like most of us today, so this was a simple meal she could whip up after a day at work. I love the rich […]
Roasted eggplant and chickpeas taste so great together. It can be served as a side dish or over rice or pasta as a main dish. It’s a great vegetarian recipe that also makes for a wonderful appetizer over crusty bread.
See my “Cook’s Notes” below for suggestions and tips:
Ingredients:
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Spray a rimmed cookie sheet with cooking spray and then add all the ingredients. Sprinkle with about 2 -3 tablespoons of olive oil and the oregano. Season well with salt, pepper and a sprinkle of the sugar, toss well.
Place on the second highest rack in the oven and roast for about 45 minutes or until vegetables are soft and golden brown. Give it a stir once or twice while it is cooking to rotate the vegetables and prevent them from sticking.
“Cook’s Notes”
If you serve this dish over pasta, add a ladle or two of pasta water to the cookie sheet to create a light sauce then pour over pasta and drizzle with some extra olive oil and sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
Chicken vegetable soup with chicken spinach meatballs, is a great healthy dish for a light dinner or lunch. I like to use ground chicken because it has great flavor and less fat than beef but any ground meat will work. You can also use ground […]
Meatballs – A Homemade Italian Meatball Recipe for Spaghetti and Meatballs. Spaghetti and Meatballs are an all time favorite and synonymous with Italian food. You don’t have to be Italian to make good homemade meatballs, because I’m going to tell you my family secret recipe. […]
