It's been too long since my last cooking post.
Here's something I whipped up the other night for some dinner guests. Super simple, prep to table in less than an hour. I usually make it with penne, but any short tubular pasta works.
olive oil
2 cloves garlic
24oz can diced tomatoes
14oz can crushed tomatoes
3tb chopped fresh basil
1tsp sugar
salt
1lb ziti, penne or any other short tubular pasta
1 ball mozzarella
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan
large rectangular Pyrex baking dish
Preheat oven to 400.
While the pasta water is heating up, saute minced garlic in 1tb olive oil over medium heat until fragrant but not browned. Add the canned tomatoes and simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes or so- the sauce should be ready about the same time as the pasta. Add the sugar, salt to taste and chopped basil, stir to combine.
When the water boils salt heavily (1tb at least) and add the pasta, cooking until just short of done- you want them a little gritty in the middle so they don't turn to mush in the oven. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of water for the sauce, and return to pot.
Adjust sauce consistency with pasta water- it also makes the sauce adhere to the pasta better, and improves the flavor of the whole project. Rub down Pyrex with olive oil. Mix sauce and pasta together in pot, then layer half in the pyrex. Spread on 1/2 the mozzerella and parmesan, then pile on the rest of the pasta. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top.
Bake at 400 until the cheese is brown and bubbly and the house smells like heaven, 15-20 minutes.
It's actually easier than it sounds, and is very flexible- you can add sauted vegetables, or sausage, or whatever to the mix and it'll turn out great. In a pinch you can omit the basil, or sub in some dried- then it can be made with pantry staples. Use different cheeses, whatever. It's quite forgiving.
I made it straight up this last time and the guests all dug it, give it a try.
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