Pasta Lasagna

Baked Mostaccioli

Serves – 8

Hands On Time = 38 min

Total Time = 1 hr, 28 min

Ingredients

12 oz uncooked mostaccioli pasta (I used penne)

4 oz cream cheese, softened (I used a whole package- 8 oz)

1 (15-oz) container ricotta cheese

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 large egg

2 green onions, minced

½ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

1 lb ground round

½ ld Italian sausage

1 (24-oz) jar fire-roasted tomato sauce with cabernet (we tested with Bertolli),  Wolfgang Puch’s is also good.

1 (14.5 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes with garlic, drained

2 (8 oz) packages shredded mozzarella cheese

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions; drain.
2. Meanwhile, mash cream cheese with a fork until smooth; stir in ricotta cheese and next 6 ingredients until blended.
3. Cook ground round and sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat until meat crumbles and is no longer pink; drain and return to pan. Stir in pasta sauce and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
4. Spread half of meat mixture on bottom of a lightly greased 13 x 9” baking dish. Layer half of pasta over meat; layer ricotta mixture over pasta. Sprinkle one package of cheese over ricotta mixture. Repeat layers using remaining half of meat mixture, pasta, and cheese.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until bubbly.

** I made this (as written above) and was able to stick more than half in the freezer!!