BAKED PASTA PIE RECIPES

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; add mostaccioli and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat the inside of a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
• Heat a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir beef, onion, and garlic in the hot skillet until beef is browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes; drain and discard grease.
• Mix pasta sauce, Italian seasoning, cumin, salt, black pepper, and garlic salt into ground beef mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until flavors have blended, about 20 minutes.
• Stir sour cream, cream cheese, and ricotta cheese together in a bowl until smooth. Stir cheese mixture and pasta together in a bowl until evenly coated; spread into the prepared baking dish. Spoon pasta sauce mixture over pasta mixture. Cover dish with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle Cheddar cheese over pasta sauce. Bake until cheese is bubbling, about 20 minutes more.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have an oven-safe 12-inch deep skillet, you can cook the veggies and bake the pasta in it. If you do not, prepare a 3-quart baking dish by lightly greasing with olive oil.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and then cook the pasta. Check the package for cook time, but cook the pasta two minutes less than what is recommend on the box (it will continue to cook in the oven). Before draining the pasta, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
• While the pasta cooks, prepare the vegetables. Slice the onions and bell peppers into 1/4-inch thick slices.
• Using a damp paper towel, brush all dirt from mushrooms. Cut away and discard any hard stems. Chop into 1/4-inch slices or, if there are larger mushrooms like portobello, cut into 1/4-inch cubes.
• Heat a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil then add the mushrooms, in one layer, and cook until browned on one side, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir then add the onions and peppers. Cook another 3 to 5 minutes or until the veggies are starting to soften and have some browned edges. Season to taste with salt and black pepper (I usually add 1/4 teaspoon of each).
• Stir the fennel, marinara sauce, and basil into the vegetables. If your skillet is large enough, toss in the pasta and if the mixture seems dry, add a splash of the reserved pasta water. If the skillet is too small, combine the sauce and pasta in a bowl. Adjust with pasta water, and then add to a baking dish.
• Taste the pasta and adjust with more salt and pepper. Tuck spoonfuls of ricotta around the pasta, and then top with the mozzarella cheese. Bake the pasta, uncovered, until the cheese melts and is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes.