Friday, March 21, 2008

Pasta Bake

A couple of years ago I came across a recipe for a pasta bake that incorporated different vegetables and I've been using the gist of that recipe for this easy pasta dish ever since. This is how I made it last night:

8-oz penne pasta
12 -oz jar artichokes, drained and chopped (I only drain 1/2 the liquid b/c I like the flavor)
12-oz jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
12 asparagus spears, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 egg
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup mozarella cheese

Cook and drain pasta and set aside to cool. In large bowl, mix remaining ingredients. Add pasta to bowl and mix until everything is incorporated. If it seems too dry, you can add a little milk. Pour into greased 8x8 baking dish. Top with breadcrumbs, if desired. Cover with foil and bake for 30 mintues at 350.

The possibilities are endless with this dish. For quite a while I was using broccoli, diced tomatoes, and roasted red peppers. Tomatoes, zuchinni, and onion would be tasty, too. A cooking show once showed this trick for speeding up chopping of canned or jarred vegetables. Just put your kitchen shears in the jar and chop away. So easy!

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