Baked Penne

After reading 2GD's recipe for baked ziti I was so tantalized that I decided to give it a try myself. I had some time Saturday afternoon before I was scheduled to go see Into the Woods, so I decided to fire some up. I had to make several alternations due to the lack of standard groceries in (a) this country and (b) my local B-Side Mart.

The Sauza

I couldn't acquire the raw tomato goods (diced, pureed or pasted) so I used a basic bottled sauce as a base (b-side, I know). I did, however, add the ground beef (or "lean steak mince" as we call it), the sautéed veggies, the garlic and a splash of some wine I had hanging around. I also added some sugar (per MRhé) to take a little of the bitterness out of the sauce. All told, I think it came out money.

The Ziti Penne

I also couldn't find any ziti, so I used penne instead. I doubt it makes any difference. I don't like things as cheesy as MRhé, so I also decided to excise the call for ricotta. I basically just rigged up the pasta and the sauce, then coated with a nice topping of mozzarella (unsurprisingly my only choice was pre-shredded, but better that than my crazy flatmate who makes lasagne with cheddar cheese). I baked it up until the cheese was nice and crispy.

Of course, now I run into the problem that usually keeps me from cooking: I have enough of the stuff to last me until the second coming. I guess I should freeze some up so that I can pull it out next week when I'm craving some easy grub.

Bon Appétit!