I love creating new pasta dishes. Why? Because pasta is easy. It’s quick. Best of all, it’s delicious. You can pair it with meat, tomatoes, butter, cheese, vegetables—just about anything and you’re sure to come out a winner.
Here’s a recipe I made up last night. It was surprisingly flavorful and yummy. I served it with garlic bread. You can also serve it with a side salad.
For this recipe you’ll need:
1-pound penne pasta (the one with the ridges will hold the sauce better)
1 stick of butter (don’t panic, it’s the sauce for the whole meal)
1 small of ½ large red onion, diced
¾ cup mushrooms, diced (any kind you like—I used baby portobellas)
1 jarred roasted red pepper, diced
¾ cup marinated artichokes, diced (if you have a Trader Jo’s near you, buy the Artichoke Antipasto. It comes in a glass jar and is DELICIOUS in this recipe and also as a bruschetta or pizza topping)
1 large tomato, diced (seeds and liquid are fine)
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ cup fresh basil, chopped
2 – 2 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese (if you can find it, the brands that are mixed with sun dried tomato and basil are very good)
To make this recipe:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Cook pasta according to package directions (for al dente texture)
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter and add the diced onion, diced mushrooms, diced red pepper, diced artichokes, diced tomato, garlic, and lemon juice. Cook for approximately 15 minutes until veggies have softened. Remove from heat and add fresh basil.
Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray and add ¼ cup sauce. Spread evenly. Add half the pasta and cover with 1/3 of the remaining pasta sauce. Add ¾ cup mozzarella cheese. Add remaining half of pasta to the dish. Cover it evenly with the remaining sauce and then the remaining cheese. Bake uncovered in a preheated oven for about 15 minutes until cheese melts.