Pasta Cake Recipes

PASTA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Generously butter an 8-inch springform pan; set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add salt and pasta. Cook pasta until almost al dente. Drain, rinse under cold running water, and drain again. Transfer to a large bowl, and stir in red pepper and spinach; set aside.
• In another large bowl, stir to combine ricotta, eggs, basil, pecorino, garlic, and nutmeg; season with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl with pasta, and gently stir until well combined. Transfer to prepared pan. Smooth top, and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake until firm to the touch and the top is golden brown, 40 to 50 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before unmolding, and serve warm or at room temperature.

PASTA POUND CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Generously spray the inside of a 12-cup bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Bring a pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until not quite al dente according to the package instructions.
• Meanwhile, combine the eggs with the Parmesan and Pecorino in a large bowl. Whisk in 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon pepper.
• Drain the pasta and discard the cooking liquid. Pour the pasta into the egg mixture and toss thoroughly to combine. Once the pasta is evenly coated, pour it into the prepared bundt pan. Gently press the pasta into an even layer.
• Bake until the pasta cake is firm and some strands of pasta have turned golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert the cake onto a large serving platter.
• For the toppings: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until a smooth paste forms. Cook the roux, stirring frequently, until it begins to smell like toasted nuts, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour in the milk, continuously whisking. Reduce the heat and simmer until a thick sauce forms, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the Cheddar and grated Parmesan and stir until melted, loosening with 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk if needed. Sprinkle with salt to taste. Allow to cool slightly before topping the cake.
• Decorate the cake with the cheese sauce. Allow the cheese "icing" to drip down the sides of the cake slightly. Top with the Parmesan shreds and basil to resemble sprinkles. Slice the cake into wedges and serve warm, with extra sauce on the side if desired.

PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted boil water to a boil. Cook mostaccioli pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain well.
• Meanwhile, cook ground beef and chopped onions in a skillet over medium heat until browned.
• In a large bowl, mix together the mushrooms, spaghetti sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, pasta, and browned ground beef and onion mixture. Transfer to a greased, 9x13 inch casserole dish.
• Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 20 minutes, or until very hot.

ITALIAN PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce, diced tomatoes, mushrooms and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes., Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Add to beef mixture and gently stir in sliced plum tomatoes. , Transfer to an ungreased 13x9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with cheeses. Bake 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and heated through.