Pickled Mostaccioli Food

OVEN BAKED MOSTACCIOLI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In large skillet, combine beef, green peppers and onion. Cook until meat has browned.
• Stir in spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce and water. Bring to a boil, then simmer 5 minutes.
• Pour 1 cup of meat sauce mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.
• Top with half of the pasta.
• Then a layer of 2 cups of mozzarella cheese and all of the parmesan cheese.
• For the next layer, add 2 cups of sauce, remaining pasta and mozzarella cheese.
• Top with remaining sauce.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
• NOTE: To make ahead--completely assemble then refrigerate. Cook the assembled meal right before serving. You may have to add some cooking time because of the refrigeration. To make clean up easier, consider foil lining the baking dish. Easy clean up is so nice when entertaining!

MOSTACCIOLI

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Crumble sausage into a Dutch oven. Cook over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce and pasta. In a large bowl, combine the egg, ricotta cheese and mozzarella cheese. , Spoon half of the pasta mixture into a greased shallow 3-qt. baking dish; layer with cheese mixture and remaining pasta mixture. , Cover and bake at 375° for 40 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160°. Uncover; top with Romano cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer or until heated through.

MY FAMOUS 'BAKED' MOSTACCIOLI

Steps:

• Cook mostaccioli noodles according to box directions, drain and set aside.
• Place Italian sausage links in a large, deep skillet and add enough water to go half way up sides of sausage links and add 2 tablespoons of oil. Simmer until cooked through and water is almost evaporated (about 25-30 minutes).
• While the sausage links are simmering, in a large bowl combine the spaghetti sauce, tomato paste, picante sauce, garlic salt and Italian seasoning. Adjust seasonings to your preferred taste.
• When all water is evaporated and links are cooked though, brown on all sides in the remaining oil in the skillet (adding more if needed). Once browned, remove from skillet and set aside.
• Add ground beef, onion and bell pepper to the same skillet and brown the meat until just barely pink (do not over cook the beef). Drain any excess grease from the skillet with a large spoon while leaving the beef and veggies in there.
• Slice the Italian sausage links into 1/4" thick slices and add back to the skillet.
• Add the spaghetti sauce mixture to the skillet and gently simmer 30 minutes to blend the ingredients and flavors.
• Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to 375*F.
• Pour the mostaccioli noodles into a large, deep aluminum baking pan (I use the big, deep rectangle, disposable ones because I don't want to wash the pan, and I'm usually asked to bring this dish to get-togethers).
• Sprinkle half (1 pound) of the shredded mozzarella cheese over the noodles. Pour the meat and sauce from skillet over the cheese. Gently mix until all noodles are coated and cheese is incorporated thoroughly. Smooth top surface and evenly sprinkle on remaining cheese.
• *Note: I've also used a couple of the smaller disposable pans and only bake one, while the other one I cover and freeze (without baking), to make later in the month (just thaw a bit before baking, stir, adding a touch of water if needed, then add final topping of cheese, bake).
• Bake uncoverd on center rack for 45 minutes.
• Serve with garlic toast, salad and Italian dressing. Enjoy!

EASY MOSTACCIOLI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Cook mostaccioli according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef, green pepper and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce, soup, Italian seasoning and pepper., Drain mostaccioli. Add mostaccioli and 1-1/2 cups cheese to beef mixture. Transfer to two greased 11x7-in. baking dishes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. , Cover and bake 20 minutes. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Freeze option:Cover and freeze unbaked casseroles up to 3 months. To use, thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake, covered, 50-60 minutes or until a thermometer reads 165°.

PICKLED MOSTACCIOLI

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until tender. Drain and cool, then transfer to a large bowl.
• In a blender or large food processor, combine the vinegar, sugar, mustard, garlic powder, salt, pepper, parsley, onion and cucumber. Puree until it forms a smooth sauce, about 3 minutes.
• Pour over the pasta, and stir to coat evenly. Cover, and refrigerate for 3 days before serving. Stir once a day.

BAKED MOSTACCIOLI

Steps:

• 1. To make the sauce: Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef, garlic, salt to taste, and the pepper and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until the beef is browned. Set aside.
• 2. Heat the rest of the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring a bit, until soft. Stir in all of the tomato products. Fill the tomato puree can with hot water, and stir in the beef and chicken base to dissolve. Add the mixture to the saucepan along with the Parmesan, steak seasoning, garlic salt, basil, and parsley, and bring to a simmer.
• 3. Add the beef to the sauce, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Taste and add salt, if necessary.
• 4. To make the baked pasta: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 10-inch deep-dish pie plate.
• 5. Toss the cooked pasta with 2 cups of the meat sauce and 11/2 cups each of the mozzarella and Cheddar cheeses. Mound the mixture in the pie dish and top with the rest of the meat sauce and the mozzarella and Cheddar. Place the pie dish on a baking sheet, and bake until bubbling and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Top with the Parmesan cheese and serve hot.

MOSTACCIOLI WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATO CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Boil the pasta in salted water until al dente, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain and put into a large bowl.
• Meanwhile, while the pasta is cooking, in a large saute pan over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and cook the ground beef and sausage until browned and cooked through. Remove the mixture from the pan and add to the pasta bowl. Add the remaining olive oil to the pan and saute the peppers and onion until golden brown and tender. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the peppers and onions to the pasta bowl. Heat the sauce in a saucepan and then pour it over the pasta mixture and toss to coat. Serve hot.
• To make Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce:
• Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Cook the sun-dried tomatoes and onion for 5 minutes. Add the tomato, garlic, chicken stock, tomato juice, and crushed red pepper and simmer to reduce by 1/4. Add the heavy cream and cook for 1 more minute, then carefully transfer to a food processor or blender. Puree the sauce until smooth. Serve the sauce warm or store in the refrigerator until ready to use.