Semi Instant Penne And Cheese Recipes

EASY BAKED PENNE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Cook pasta according to package directions then drain well.
• In a bowl or in the pasta pan, stir together pasta sauce, cottage cheese, sour cream, and garlic. Stir in pasta, then stir in 2 cups of shredded cheese.
• Spread pasta in a 9x13" baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining 2 cups cheese on top.
• Bake for 15-25 minutes or until the pasta is hot all the way through and cheese is melted. Serve hot. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

BAKED PENNE WITH THREE CHEESES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Prepare the penne rigate according to the package directions, minus 1 or 2 minutes of cooking time (see Cook's Note). Drain, then pour the pasta into a 9-by-13-inch glass baking pan.
• In a 4-quart saucepan, melt the butter on medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour until it's dissolved. Add the cream to the saucepan. Add the nutmeg, seasoned salt, and black pepper and whisk the mixture until it's warmed through.
• Reduce the heat to low, and add the mozzarella, Cheddar, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Stir until you have a smooth cheese sauce.
• Pour the sauce over the pasta and top with the breadcrumbs.
• Bake for about 40 minutes, until the top turns a golden brown.

PENNE WITH 5 CHEESES ALA BAREFOOT CONTESSA - INA GARTEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500°F.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook penne for just 4 minutes (or until barely al dente, as it will cook more in the oven); drain well.
• Meanwhile, in a very large mixing bowl, combine the cream, crushed tomatoes, cheeses and basil.
• On the show, very fresh buffalo mozzarella was used, and it was cut into slices and then slivered (much like a julienne); I'm sure shredded mozzarella would work just fine.
• Add cooked, drained penne to sauce and stir well.
• On the show, individual shallow serving dishes were filled with the pasta; I'm sure this could be done in a shallow casserole dish too, such as a 13x9 pan.
• Either fill individual dishes with pasta, as above, or fill an entire shallow dish, then dot butter over surface in small pieces.
• Bake in preheated oven for 7 to 10 minutes, until top is browned.
• On the show, the individual dishes were then refrigerated, uncovered, so that they could be reheated later in the evening; unfortunately, no information was given as to how the dish should be reheated (oven temp, time, etc) so, really, your guess is as good as mine.