Meatlessitalianmacaronibake Recipes

MEATLESS ITALIAN MACARONI BAKE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350º F.
• 2. In a 3-quart saucepan, cook the macaroni in boiling water until tender. Drain well. (If you decide to use Rotini pasta in place of the elbow macaroni, be sure to use at least 2-1/2 cups, and cook the pasta for 10 minutes.)
• 3. Add the drained macaroni back into the pan, then add in the mayonnaise, stewed tomatoes, a 3/4 cup of shredded mozzarella, and the Italian seasoning; stir the ingredients.
• 4. Pour the mixture into a 2-quart baking dish.
• 5. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella over the casserole, and bake uncovered in the oven for 20 minutes.
• 6. Before serving, I lightly sprinkle a bit of dried parsley flakes on top the casserole. Also, you'll notice this recipe doesn't state to add any salt or pepper. I add those spices to my plate when seated at the table.
• 7. *Note: When making this casserole, you can substitute another type of pasta for the macaroni. Sometimes I'll use Radiatore Pasta, or even Rotini. (I do however, cook the Radiatore Pasta for 10 minutes.) I have also prepared this meatless casserole using a four cheese blend, instead of the mozzarella cheese. Surprisingly it turned out to be quite good. (See additional photos which I added.) One more thing, you can also substitute a can of diced tomatoes (which has basil, garlic & oregano in it), for the stewed tomatoes.

MEATLESS ITALIAN MACARONI BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• In a large mixing bowl combine the cooked marcaroni, stewed tomatoes, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella, italian seasoning and mayonnaise --.
• Spoon the mixture into a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish; Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese --.
• Bake in the preheated 350°F oven for approximately 20 min (your time may vary) until warm and all cheese is melted --.
• Note:Do NOT substitute anything else for the mayonnaise, i.e. NO salad dressing, NO Miracle Whip, as the recipe is specifically tailored to the result that is created by the use of mayonnaise --.
• Variation: Use a different pasta such as rotini or penne rigati.

EASY VEGETABLE BAKED PASTA

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have an oven-safe 12-inch deep skillet, you can cook the veggies and bake the pasta in it. If you do not, prepare a 3-quart baking dish by lightly greasing with olive oil.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and then cook the pasta. Check the package for cook time, but cook the pasta two minutes less than what is recommend on the box (it will continue to cook in the oven). Before draining the pasta, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
• While the pasta cooks, prepare the vegetables. Slice the onions and bell peppers into 1/4-inch thick slices.
• Using a damp paper towel, brush all dirt from mushrooms. Cut away and discard any hard stems. Chop into 1/4-inch slices or, if there are larger mushrooms like portobello, cut into 1/4-inch cubes.
• Heat a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil then add the mushrooms, in one layer, and cook until browned on one side, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir then add the onions and peppers. Cook another 3 to 5 minutes or until the veggies are starting to soften and have some browned edges. Season to taste with salt and black pepper (I usually add 1/4 teaspoon of each).
• Stir the fennel, marinara sauce, and basil into the vegetables. If your skillet is large enough, toss in the pasta and if the mixture seems dry, add a splash of the reserved pasta water. If the skillet is too small, combine the sauce and pasta in a bowl. Adjust with pasta water, and then add to a baking dish.
• Taste the pasta and adjust with more salt and pepper. Tuck spoonfuls of ricotta around the pasta, and then top with the mozzarella cheese. Bake the pasta, uncovered, until the cheese melts and is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes.

BEEF AND MACARONI BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350*.
• Cut up leftover roast beef in 2-inch cubes. Place cubes in small roast pan.
• Add beef broth, tomatoes, celery, onions, pepper and salt.
• Cover and bake 1 hour.
• Add macaroni and bake another 20 minutes.
• Tip:.
• If you do not have a tasty lefover gravy, add Worcestershire sauce,garlic etc to give the sauce a boost.