Baked Pasta Casserole Recipe

Ingredients

1 pound small shell pasta

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan in a slow stream

3 large cloves garlic

1/2 small to medium yellow onion

1 (28-ounce) can crushed Italian tomatoes, any brand

1/2 cup, 10 to 12 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces

Salt and pepper

1 cup store bought basil pesto sauce

1 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, a couple of handfuls

1/2 pound fresh mozzarella

Directions for Baked Pasta Casserole Recipe

- Turn oven on to 350 degrees

- Cook pasta according to directions

- In a pan, saute the garlic and onion until tender

- Addd in the tomatoes and simmer

- Mix in the basil, salt and pepper

- Add the pasta to a casserole dish

- Top with pesto sauce, ricotta, and parmigiano

- Mix pasta well to coat sauce

- Mix in the tomoato sauce

- Top with mozzerelle cheese

- Bake for 35 minutes

This baked pasta casserole recipe was so easy and my family loved it. We will definitely make this again. I would put it in a 9x13 pan and heat it a little longer at a lower temp as the pesto/cheese mixture did not get quite hot enough just from the noodles

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This baked pasta casserole recipe is an Italian family tradition. Instead of your normal everyday pasta meal, mix it up a little bit and surprise your family. For this baked pasta casserole we didn't include any meat, but feel free to add ground beef for a little extra flavor. This hearty Italian meal will easily feed 4-6 people. So next time you pull out some pasta, consider trying this baked casserole recipe.

For other great recipes like the Baked Pasta Casserole Recipe, check out the macaroni casserole recipe page.