COTTAGE CHEESE PENNE PASTA BAKE

so it’s one of those days… and I feel like some pasta. So I start gathering my ingredients.. I was feeling like some baked pasta today. I didn’t have any ricotta, OR cream cheese, and very little shredded mozzarella, so what was I to do… I found some fresh cottage cheese. I thought that and the little bit of Mozzarella I had would have to do.. and I set off making my dish.  It turned out very tasty, so glad I went ahead and tried the cottage cheese. My craving for baked pasta was satisfied. =)

COTTAGE CHEESE PENNE PASTA BAKE

Ingredients

I made my homemade basic sauce

BASIC MEAT SAUCE: In a very  large & deep frying add a little oil.. have you about 3 large cloves of garlic minced up, throw into the  hot oil and use wooden spoon to stir around, WATCH do not burn garlic or it will ruin the whole dish

as soon as you smell that garlic in the air, throw in your ground chuck, brown it but don’t stir it to death let it cook in larger chunks we don’t want pebbles we want MEAT,,,,

shake in salt and pepper WELL over meat and parsley flakes a little basil and  add HUNTS tomato sauce (the big can 16oz I think and the big tomato paste or two little tomato paste & save your cans

fill up  the smaller can twice with water  and the big one once with water adding  to pan. stir well then add in grated parmesan cheese (don’t be stingy) and salt n pepper to taste bring to a boil reduce heat and let simmer for 30-40 min

I boiled some Penne pasta shells in salted water with a tbsp oil till aldente and drained it

sprinkle in about 1/4 cup parmesano romano cheese

salt and pepper well

add a pinch of basil

next I added my cottage cheese to my drained pasta

stir into the hot noodles

spread it into your 9×13 baking dish

sprinkle some more parmesano romano cheese

pour your homemade meat sauce over top

top with mozzarella cheese

and sprinkle with parmesan cheese

bake in oven about 30 minutes at 350 degrees

take out and let rest (better after 25 minutes but can eat before) This dish is also one that is better the next day ..

Serve