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One Pan Pasta Bake

The ultimate "I need to feed humans but don't want to destroy my kitchen" meal. This is what happens when pasta and laziness have a beautiful baby together. Pair with a salad and crusty garlic bread if you're feeling fancy, or just eat it straight from the pan like the rebel you are. Perfect for entertaining or when you need to feed the family before diving into holiday cooking chaos.
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Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 Tbsps tomato paste the concentrated tomato attitude
  • 2 Tbsps olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic pressed (or minced if you don't have a garlic press—we're not fancy)
  • 1 Tbsp dried basil
  • 2 tsps dried oregano
  • Crushed red pepper flakes measure with your soul
  • 1 cup red wine or chicken broth use a wine you'd like to drink, go ahead, pour yourself a glass
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 lb rigatoni pasta or whatever tube-shaped pasta you've got
  • 1 cup cubed truffle cheese or your favorite cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese or Italian cheese mix

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Oil a 9x13 inch baking dish. This is the hardest part—you've got this.
  2. To the baking dish, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, olive oil, garlic, basil, oregano, red wine (or chicken broth), and water. Just dump it all in there like you're making a beautiful, saucy mess. Stir to combine. It's gonna look like a lot of liquid—trust the process.
  3. Add the dry pasta, truffle cheese, and half of the parmesan or Italian cheese blend. Yes, RAW pasta. This isn't a mistake. Toss to coat. Get everything nice and friendly. Push down gently on the pasta to submerge it under the liquid. Some rebellious pieces will try to escape—show them who's boss. Sprinkle the remaining parmesan or Italian cheese blend evenly over the top because we're building a cheese fortress.
  4. Rub one side of a piece of foil with oil. This prevents the cheese from staging a rebellion and sticking to the foil. Tightly cover the baking dish with the foil, oiled side facing down. Bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake another 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is crisp and bubbly and making you question your life choices in the best way possible.
  5. Remove from the oven and try not to burn your tongue immediately diving in. Top with fresh herbs if desired and you're feeling like a culinary genius.

Notes

The truffle cheese is doing the heavy lifting here—if you can't find it, any fancy cheese will work. Just don't use American cheese and call it a day. We have standards.