I found this recipe in Taste of the South Magazine in their Classic Southern Casseroles issue. I changed it up just a little bit and it’s an easy one for you to put your own stamp on as well by changing the protein or adding veggies like onions or mushrooms.

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Easy Kid Friendly Pasta Bake

Easy kid friendly rotini pasta bake. Cheesy comfort food goodness perfect for pasta night.

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Author Kathy Penney

Ingredients

• 3 cups whole wheat rotini
• 1 pound Italian sausage crumbles
• 2 14 oz jars of your favorite pasta sauce
• 1/2 cup turkey pepperoni slices
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 Farenheit
• Spray a 3 quart casserole dish with nonstick spray
• Cook rotini according to instructions until al dente and drain
• Add to casserole dish and set aside
• Brown sausage crumbles and drain
• Add sausage crumbles to casserole dish
• Pour pasta sauce, 1/2 the cheese, and half the pepproni into the casserole dish
• Stir to combine and spread casserole evenly in dish
• Top with remaining pepperoni and cheese
• Bake covered for 40 minutes and finish baking uncovered for 5 minutes

This dish is cheesy and so full of flavor with the pepperoni and Italian sausage, which smells amazing while it’s cooking by the way. The kids love the fun shaped rotini, which holds the tangy pasta sauce. We love Paul Newman’s Sockerooni. It’s a classic for a reason. This is also a yummy dish you can make ahead and it reheats great.

Give this Easy Pasta Bake a try and I think you’ll wind up putting it in your menu planning rotation. Meanwhile, we will be drying out in Houston, doing crafts, shopping our pantry and being grateful for simple comfort food.

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Do I love garlic for any of these reasons, nope, zip, nadda. Why do I love garlic? Because it tastes so darn good! Garlic salt and garlic powder are staples in my pantry. I almost always have a clove of garlic in my fridge. I think you get the message. Another  favorite of mine is pasta, I can never get enough pasta!. Putting the two together is a win-win in my book. So when I saw this recipe from Katie at The Cheese Pusher I couldn’t wait to give it a try!

I made this dish when I was visiting my son, and my daughter and her wonderful husband in Utah. They are used to me using them as guinea pigs for recipes I want to test from Pinterest. It’s nice when I can get several opinions on one recipe. My son loved it and he was thrilled that I had made enough for him to take leftovers home!

One thing about this dish is it asks you to use cream, not regular cream but HEAVY cream. My advice? DO IT! I know, I know not only is it fattening, it can make your cholesterol levels rise. But with some dishes you have to stop counting calories, forget about cholesterol levels and just ENJOY the culinary experience. This is one of those dishes. Next time I’m going to throw in some grilled chicken strips and brocolli. Oh yea, there is going to a lot of next times with this recipe because…….

This Pin Rocks!

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Creamy Garlic Pasta

Author Adapted by Made From Pinterest

Ingredients

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tbsp butter
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 3 cups chicken stock
• ½ lb spaghetti or angel hair pasta
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

• In a saucepan, bring your olive oil to medium-low heat. Next add the garlic and stir, allowi it to cook for 1-2 minutes. Next mix in the butter until melted. Add your salt, pepper and chicken stock. Increase the heat to high and let it come to a boil.
• Once it is at a rolling boil, add the pasta, cook according to package directions. Reduce the stove to medium heat and mix in the parmesan until completely melted. Turn off the heat and stir in the cream and parsley. Serve immediately.

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