Low Budget Pasta W Cheesy Tomato Sauce Casserole Style Food

TOMATO PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a medium pan and fry the onion for 5 mins until softened and lightly golden. Stir in the garlic and cook for a further min. Mix in the tomatoes and sugar, bring to the boil and simmer for 20 mins. Add a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce and season to taste. This basic sauce can now be chilled or frozen, see recipe intro.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to pack instructions. Heat the grill to high. Mix together the cheese and breadcrumbs.
• Drain the pasta and stir into the sauce. Tip in the frankfurters and spoon into a heatproof dish. Scatter over the cheesy crumbs and grill for 3-5 mins or until bubbling hot and golden. Serve with a simple salad.

TOMATO, BASIL AND CHEESE BAKED PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt the water. Add small shell pasta and cook the pasta to al dente doneness which means that the pasta will still have a bite to it or be a little chewy. The pasta will soak up more juice and keep on cooking after we drain it, so we need it to be a little under cooked. The shells will probably cook about 9 or 10 minutes.
• Preheat a deep, big skillet or a medium sauce pot over medium heat.
• Place garlic on the cutting board and place the flat of your knife on top of each clove. Carefully give the garlic a whack with the palm of your hand to separate the cloves from the skins. Throw out the skins and chop up the garlic. Remember to keep your fingers curled under and the edge of your sharp, chef's knife tilted slightly away from your body.
• Add extra-virgin olive oil to the pan by pouring a slow stream of it twice-around-the-pan. This will be about 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil just enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Do not let the oil pour out too fast. You are looking for a slow, steady stream. Add the garlic to the oil. To chop the onion, cut the ends off and cut the whole onion down the center. Wrap half and save it. Cut the other half into thin slices then twist the slices a quarter turn and chop them again. Hold the tip of knife on the cutting board and lift the back of the knife up and down over the onion to make the pieces really small. Add the chopped up onion to the garlic and oil. Cook, stirring a lot, 5 minutes until the onions are mushy and look cooked.
• Add the tomatoes to the onions and stir. When the tomatoes come to a bubble, reduce the heat under the sauce to low. Stir in basil pieces to wilt them. Season the sauce with salt and peppe, to your taste.
• Preheat your broiler to high and place a rack in the center of the oven.
• Drain pasta shells. Add them to a flameproof casserole dish. Add pesto sauce, 1 cup of ricotta cheese and a handful of grated Parmigiano, too. Stir carefully and coat the hot pasta with the pesto and cheeses. Pour the hot tomato and basil sauce over the pasta, as much as you like. You can always serve a little extra at the table, to pass around. Shred up some mozzarella cheese with a grater and scatter it over the pasta. Add a final sprinkle of Parmigiano to the mozzarella as well. Place the casserole under the broiler in the middle of oven, 10 to 12 inches from the heat. Let the cheese melt and bubble on top, 3 to 5 minutes.

PENNE PASTA BAKE WITH TOMATOES AND MOZZARELLA CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 F / 180 C / Gas 4.
• Butter a 2 1/2- to 3-quart shallow baking dish or casserole.
• Cook the penne pasta in boiling salted water as directed on package; drain well and set aside.
• Taste and add salt and pepper.
• Serve and enjoy!

LOW BUDGET PASTA W CHEESY TOMATO SAUCE CASSEROLE STYLE

Steps:

• Dice onion and saute in 1 tbs olive oil in a pot, large enough to also boil the pasta inches.
• Ad uncooked pasta, tomato sauce, water and half and half.
• Season with salt, pepper, basil, oregano and some instant broth to taste.
• Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and stir frequently.
• While pasta and tomato sauce cook, slice hot dogs into 1/4 inch slices and saute in some butter until browned on both sides and ad too the pasta/sauce mix, continue to cook until pasta reaches preferred consistency. If necessary, ad some more liquid (e.g. water, half and half) should pasta absorbs too much sauce.
• Right before serving, stir in shredded cheese.
• Serve with buttered slices of bread.
• The dish should have the overall texture of a baked casserole: thick, the sauce will be mostly absorbed by the pasta. Leftovers heat up great in the micro wave the next day.

EASY CHEESY-TOMATO PASTA SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a medium-sized non-stick saucepan and gently cook the onion and the cherry tomatoes, then add the garlic until it becomes slightly golden. After this, add the tin of chopped tomatoes. Tip in the celery and grapes (optional: olives). Allow these to cook until they are slightly soft. Then add the grated cheese, allow this to melt into the sauce.
• Allow the sauce to cook for a further 1 minute. Season it to your preference, then serve in bowls topped with basil leaves and the shaved Parmesan and an extra teaspoon of olive oil.

ITALIAN CASSEROLE (RIGATONI AND CHEESE WITH TOMATO SAUCE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook rigatoni according to package directions until al dente; drain.
• Combine tomato sauce with seasonings, and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minuntes.
• Add sauce to pasta and toss to coat.
• In a baking dish, arrange pasta and cheese in layers, ending with cheese.
• Pour melted butter over all.
• Bake, covered, for 15 minutes.
• Uncover, and bake for another 15 minutes.
• To freeze: Undercook pasta by a minute or two. Assemble dish as directed. Wrap with plastic wrap and then foil. Label and freeze.
• To serve: Thaw in fridge. Remove plastic wrap and recover with foil. Bake as directed for 20 minutes. Then uncover and bake 15 more minutes.