Baked Pasta Shells & Cheese

Here's a super easy comfort meal that I make for the boys when I want minimal effort on my part. I use Ramekins because you can vary the contents to meet individual tastes, it's easier to portion size for kids, and the presentation is pretty :)

You can experiment with any type of pasta, sauce, and cheeses

or add chicken and peas to make it more of a meal.

{ Baked Pasta Shells & Cheese }

Spray Ramekins with Pam and place on a baking sheet

Bake pasta and divide into Ramekins

Add pasta sauce (if using)

Cover with cheese of your choosing 

Pop it in the oven at 350 for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

My boys favorite is tube pasta mixed with a smidge of butter and topped with mozzarella cheese. Simple comfort food.

Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

{If you haven't tried Pioneer Woman's recipe for Tomato Cream Sauce, you must. It's a-mazing. After we had it I was instantly left dreaming up future creations to make with this sauce. Smoked salmon pasta with tomato cream sauce is now at the top of my list. I ended up making this a night early. The snow is falling outside and a warm creamy pasta seemed perfect for this night.}





Here's What You Need:

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 2 cans (15 Ounce Each) Tomato Sauce Or Marinara Sauce
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• Dash Of Sugar (more To Taste)
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• Grated Parmesan To Taste
• Fresh Basil, Chopped
• 1-½ pound Pasta
• I omitted these next 2 ingredients but feel free to add it if your kids' tastes are more refined:
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced 
• 4 cloves Garlic, Minced 

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.

Heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic {I omitted this step} and saute for a minute or so. Pour in tomato sauce and add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Stir and cook over low heat for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat and stir in cream. Add cheese to taste, then check seasonings. Stir in pasta and chopped basil and serve immediately. (Thin with pasta water before adding basil if needed.)

Serve and enjoy!

**As for the boys, my pasta loving ones devoured it. My picky guy did not. But it we'll continue to work on him, it's just that good. **

Spaghetti with Brown Butter and Mizithra Cheese

I love this pasta served at the Old Spaghetti Factory. My boys devour this by the handfuls. It is a big crowd pleaser because its loved by both adults and kids. It is a good stand alone meal or you can serve it as a side dish to chicken or fish. It is ldelicious and can be made in less than 30 minutes.

Serves/Makes: 4

Ingredients:

1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 cup Mizithra cheese (you can find this with specialty cheeses, I was able to find it easily at QFC)
Pasta of choice (I use spaghetti)

Directions:

Browned Butter Procedure: Cut 2 sticks of butter into 8 pieces and place in a 2-quart sauce pan. Place the pan of butter on a burner on medium heat. Bring butter to a slow boil (about 5 minutes).

Once the butter begins to boil, stir constantly to prevent residue from sticking to the bottom of the pan. As the butter cooks, it will start to foam and rise. Continue stirring, otherwise the butter foam could overflow (about 5 minutes) and catch fire (yikes)

Once the butter stops foaming and rising, cook until amber in color (about 1 to 2 minutes). It will have a caramel aroma.

Turn off the heat and remove pan from burner. Let the sediment settle to the bottom of the pan for a few minutes.

Pour the brown butter through a strainer into a small bowl. Do not disturb the residue at the bottom of the pan.

The brown butter can be stored in the refrigerator and reheated in a microwave as needed.

Boil the pasta of choice until Al Dente. Drain pasta and divide into four servings. Spread 1/4 cup of Mizithra over each pasta serving. Top with 1/4 cup of hot brown butter.

Recipe from CDKitchen

My Grandma's Mac & Cheese

Ingredients:

2 Cups Pasta {Any variety. I like to My favorites are penne or large shells}.

2 TBS Butter

2 TBS Flour

2 Cups Milk {Any variety. Grandma uses 2 percent for a more decadent sauce but I use fat free and still like the results}.

2 Cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese {My favorite is Tilamook because of the way it melts into the sauce}.

Directions:

1. Boil your pasta according to box directions.

2. In a separate pot, melt butter.

3. Add the flour and mix to a paste.

4. Add milk and cook until an almost boil. You want your sauce to be thick so continue to stir and watch until it is a thick consistency.

5. Add cheese and let melt into sauce.

6. Drain pasta and transfer to a buttered casserole dish. Pour cheese sauce over pasta.

7. Cook at 350 for 30 minutes.

8. If you want to make ahead you can assemble the night before or that morning and refrigerate until you are ready to cook.

Hope you like it as much as my family does!

Bow-Tie Lasagna

{Inspired by this recipe I made my own version of Bow-Tie lasagna and it was well loved. The boys went to town on it which is always a sign of a meal worth repeating. It tasted just like the classic lasagna I make, without all the work. Try this and you won't be disappointed. It will easily serve 6, for my family it was enough for 2 separate meals.}

Ingredients:

1 lb Lean Ground Beef

1 Box Bow-Tie Noodles

3-4 cups Marinara Sauce (about 1 1/2 jars) {my favorite is Newman's Own}

4 oz Ricotta Cheese

4 oz Cream Cheese (at room temperature)

1 Cup shredded Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

Mix your 3 cheeses together in a bowl and set aside.

Cook the Bow-Tie Noodles according to the packages directions.

Meanwhile, cook the ground beef in a frying pan.

Drain the noodles after they are cooked and return them to the pot.

Add the marinara sauce, cooked ground beef, and mixed cheese to the pot.

Cook on low for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve and Enjoy.