Saturday, August 11, 2012

Italian Casserole Revived


Leftover Italian Casserole (hubby's version)
1 Jar favorite Italian sauce
2 tbsps. fresh Basil, chopped
1 1/2 tbsps. fresh garlic, minced
2 cups freshly shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 cup Ricotta cheese
Extra virgin Olive oil

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Hubby made a large pot of Italian style pasta and sauce a couple days ago.  We had so much leftover I decided to tweak it today and make it for supper.  On med-low heat, add pasta to a pot, add half a jar of the sauce, a couple of squirts of the olive oil and stir it in.  Simmer and stir occasionally.

Add garlic

add fresh chopped Basil.  Stir in completely.

In a prepared pan (I sprayed with cooking spray), pour some of the reserved sauce, just enough to cover the bottom of a 13"x9" pan

Add half the pasta, top it off with a couple of drizzles of the olive oil and half of what's left of the sauce.

Next add about 10 tbsps. of Ricotta cheese and a layer of the freshly grated Mozzarella cheese.  Repeat with another layer of the same.  Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour or until bubbly.
and that's all there is to it.  Very simple, tweaked up meal for a Saturday.

The fresh basil and garlic sure made a difference in this dish as well as the olive oil.  Took it to another tasty and savory level.  I served it with some buttered green beans and toasted garlic bread.

 Here's my fresh Basil plant out back, blooming in abundance.

So enjoy your weekend by cooking something quick and simple and remember to savor every moment.

2 comments:

  1. Yum yum yum! That looks so good! I love pasta...everything. All though we don't eat it very often these days. Your basil plant looks great - I think mine are on their last legs now!

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  2. Why thank you Manuela. We still had so much leftover we had to freeze half of it so yay, more for later. My basil bush is still and I don't even have a green thumb!!

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