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Divine Pasta Casserole
It cooled down here, for the time being. And if you’re wondering why I’m layin’ all over the floor, that’s just me, thanking God on my bare knees. Oh, I know I’m a major sissy, but seriously, the temperature in my back yard climbed to an astounding 105F (40.5C).
This is Holland, people! I walked around for days yelling at everyone: “LEAVE ME ALONE, IT’S HOT”. We were not designed for these temperatures! I thought I would melt into a big puddle of goo. Keep in mind that our houses are not air-conditioned before you mock me, yee who judge too quickly. I do have one of those portable air conditioners but, well, it was painfully clear that thing wasn’t cut out for the job.
Fortunately I survived and last Saturday the temp dropped and that was not a moment too late. I instantly craved pasta casserole. Not sure why, but I did. I still wasn’t in the mood to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, having barely survived purgatory, so I just threw some stuff together in a tray, put it in the oven and got the heck out of there.
By accident, I think I might have created the best pasta casserole I’ve ever tasted.
Ingredients:
Pasta:
1 pound ground beef
3 cups uncooked pasta
1 14oz can tomatoes
4 fresh plum tomatoes
2 red onions
2 or 3 garlic cloves
1 bell pepper
pepper
salt
oil
Mornay Sauce:
2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1 1/2 cup milk
5 tbsp grated parmesan
mace or nutmeg
pepper
salt
Directions:
The sauce prepping will only take you a minute or two, if you cut fast that is. Cut 4 ripe, plum tomatoes in half.
Squeeze out the seeds, but don’t fret over a seed or two left behind.
Cut the red onions in coarse pieces or wedges.
Remove the seeds from a red, orange or yellow bell pepper and cut it in 4 pieces.
Pour a 14 oz can whole or diced tomatoes into a baking tray.
Add the onions and sprinkle 1 1/2 tsp sugar over the tomatoes.
Put the tomatoes and bell pepper strips in there as well, skin side up. Sprinkle a generous amount of salt, pepper and some dried basil all over the vegetables.
Pour, or as I’m doing now, spray some oil all over. Not too much, 1 or 2 tbsp. I’m really liking these EVO spray cans.
Until you have a big tray filled with yummy veggies looking all shiny and pretty. You know this will be a flavor bomb!
Put a few garlic cloves in there as well and leave the skin on so they’ll roast inside their skin and become all sweet and nutty.
Roast the vegetables at 400F (200C) for 45 to 55 minutes. Until tender.
As soon as the vegetables are done, give them some time to cool off and peel the blackened skin off of the bell pepper.
Remove the blackened outer layer of the onions and squeeze out the garlic.
Transfer the roasted veggies to a blender, food-processor or immersion blender bowl and blitz until smooth.
Fresh basil. It really needs some fresh basil as well. Finely mince 2 tbsp.
If you’re a vegetarian, skip the next step. I have no idea how this tastes without meat, so if you make it, don’t forget to let me know!
Season a (small) pound ground beef, use salt, pepper and nutmeg. I cut some corners and bought pre-seasoned beef. Come on, it was hot out here, remember? Groceries were at the bottom of the priority list. So was food.
‘
Now is the time to cook your pasta of choice in salted water, according to the directions on the package. Don’t forget the salt, nothing tastes worse than under seasoned pasta. Okay, maybe coriander, but still…
Quickly brown the ground beef and drain off the fat if there is any, and add the vegetable sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes, check the seasoning and stir in the fresh basil. Don’t add the basil too soon or it might give off a bitter flavor.
My sauce was on the thick side, so I didn’t drain the pasta but simply transferred it from one pan to the other with a pasta spoon allowing some of the cooking liquid to be transferred as well. Put the pasta in an oven tray.
If you’re a food snob… turn your head for a split moment because I used pregrated parmesan and feel no shame whatsoever.
Melt 2 tbsp butter, add the flour and cook for a minute to neutralize the rawness of the flour. Don’t let the roux brown! Pour in one cup of milk and whisk vigorously. Slowly the sauce will thicken. Add more milk until you have a consistency you like, for me 1/2 a cup extra did the trick.
Season the sauce with 1/4 tsp salt, pepper and nutmeg or mace to taste and add 5 or 6 tbsp grated parmesan. Simmer the sauce, over really low heat, for 2 to 3 minutes.
Pour the Mornay sauce over the pasta.
Sprinkle a little extra Parmesan on top, just because you can.
Pop this beauty in a preheated oven and bake at 350F (175) for 30 minutes, until the pasta is bubbly hot and the sauce is golden brown.
Get yourself a big plate, a fork and chow down. You’re gonna love it as much as we did, mark my words!
| Divine Pasta Casserole | |
| Ingredients |
1 pound ground beef 3 cups uncooked pasta 1 14oz can tomatoes 4 fresh plum tomatoes 2 red onions 2 or 3 garlic cloves 1 bell pepper pepper salt oil Mornay Sauce: 2 tbsp butter 3 tbsp flour 1 1/2 cup milk 5 tbsp grated parmesan mace or nutmeg pepper salt |
| Directions |
Put the tomatoes and bell pepper strips in there as well, skin side up and sprinkle a generous amount of salt, pepper and some dried basil all over. Pour 1 or 2 tbsp oil over the vegetables and randomly place the garlic cloves in there (leave the skin on). Roast the vegetables at 400F (200C) for 45 to 55 minutes. Until tender. As soon as the vegetables are done, give them some time to cool off and peel the blackened skin off of the bell pepper. Remove the blackened outer layer of the onions and squeeze out the garlic. Transfer the roasted veggies to a blender, food-processor or immersion blender bowl and blitz until smooth. Finely mince the basil (2 tbsp) and season the ground beef with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Cook the pasta in salted water according to the directions on the package. Brown the ground beef (drain off the fat) and add the sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes, check the seasoning and stir in the basil. Transfer the pasta to the sauce, combine and put it all in a baking tray. Heat the butter, add the flour and cook for a minute while continuing to stir. Add 1 cup of milk and whisk ’til the sauce thickens, add more milk until you have a consistency you like. Season the sauce with 1/4 tsp salt, pepper and nutmeg or mace to taste and add 5 or 6 tbsp grated parmesan. Simmer the sauce, over really low heat, for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour the Mornay sauce over the pasta, sprinkle some extra Parmesan on top and bake at 350F (175) for 30 minutes, until the pasta is bubbly hot and the sauce is golden brown. |
| Meal type: | Main Course |
| Servings: | 4 |
| copyright © kayotickitchen.com | |
That does indeed look divine. Not the quickest dish to whip up when you come home from work, but I’m pretty sure it will be worth it. I do think 309 minutes of baking time might be slightly exaggerated though ;)
@ Ilse:
Come on, you want it to be really bubbly, so 309 minutes is nothing :)
Gah, I hate it when errors like that slip in.
Yummy!
This looks phenomenal, Kay. Gorgeous photos, as always. I have one of those olive oil misters as well and it makes applying salad dressing much easier!
That does look tasty! I don’t know what my boyfriend would make of it, though. Italians are so picky about what you do with their pasta. ;) Maybe I’ll make it when he’s out some night. Where did you find the olive oil mister? I’ve missed the cooking sprays that are so common in the US, especially since I always seem to end up using too much oil.
@ Alison:
I am so glad I don’t have such picky eaters to cook for, that would drive me stir crazy. They either what I cook or they can make themself a sandwich :)
You can buy them at the AH! I use the misters a lot during summer, when we eat more salads and I like to spray a little on the meat before slapping it onto the BBQ.
Ohh I have been looking for a good pasta casserole! Getting tired of baked zitit. Can only begin to imagine the intense flavor of a sauce made with roasted vegetables.
Oh this looks wonderful and I love the idea of roasting the veg and then pureeing–genius. I will try it when it isn’t so HOT!
Looks tasty! About the air conditioning – I used to live in France and Luxembourg and it was the same way -very little air conditioning – I tell people here in the US and they don’t believe me. Somehow we all survived – I think because it never got too hot. I don’t know how you made this in the heat – but it sure is beautiful! :)
sounds delish!
Really looks great. I think my family would love it. Can’t make it anytime soon since you sent all that heat over my way……
Haha, yeah 309 minutes would make it really bubbly and really golden brown ;)
I think it will be a good idea to make a huge batch of the roasted veggie sauce and then freeze it. That way I can whip this up a bit faster on weeknights. I bet it is fantastic as a stand-alone pasta sauce as well, without the Mornay sauce and oven time. Thanks for the recipe!
@ Ilse:
Won’t even be surprised if you can also use it for a pizza sauce. Might have to try that. I’m a big fan of Mornay sauce over pasta or lasagna :)
This looks good.. now that it is BBQ season, I may grill the vege on the BBQ (save on heat in the apartment).
I hear you about the heat :( we are hitting high 30 C here – with humidex close to high 40 :(. I’m in an apt – we have an a/c unit, but its old, so doesnt pump cool into any other room than the living room
@ Medstudentwife:
Great idea, I’m gonna give it a try as well. Might be fun to create a pasta sauce with vegetables roated on the BBQ.
I am a vegetarian (a revisit to a old thing) so I will definitely let you know how it goes. This sauce is almost a romesco, it just needs some almonds and parm! I love romesco!
This looks so good and is a great way to get kiddos to get veggies!
This looks delicious! I’m still waiting for your chicken Marsala recipe though :)
I fell in love with your recipe instantly!
I tried it yesterday for lunch using elbow pasta… it was a big hit, my kids loved it :D
Great idea to make the sauce with roasted vegetables.
Thank you :)
OH YUM. You know, I have a day off tomorrow and a packet of pork mince in my fridge that I was going to turn into meatballs. Maybe baked pasta is more on the menu…. *drool*
@ Rhea:
You’re absolutely right… need to pick up some Marsala soon and shoot the posting!
I made this the other night since I had everything on hand. It was absolutely delicious! This is my new favorite pasta recipe. I can’t wait to make it again, thank you!
Oh my god this looks awesome! Will definitely have to try it. Love the idea of the sauce being made from just roasted vegetables rather than slow cooking on the stove.
Made this on Sunday, and we loved it. We had enough leftover to have it for dinner tonight again, loved it, and I think this is going to be another staple in my house.
Just want to let you know, since I found your site, my friends actually think I’m a good cook. Thank you so much for that, if only they new ;-)
Groetjes van Renate
I made this with ground turkey instead of ground beef for a lighter version. It was incredible! This is now a staple at my house. I could eat the sauce on its own. It is just that good! Thanks for this recipe.