This recipe was created on a whim as part of #quarantinecooking with what was in my pantry and fridge. And guess what? This baked penne pasta was so delish I decided to put it on the blog. WOO! This throw together pasta dish could not be easier, and makes great use of items you most likely already have in your kitchen. And the best part? You can totally make this your own. Don't have Boursin Cheese but you have ricotta or mozzarella? PERF. Throw it in there. Don't have frozen peas, but you have broccoli? Even better! This recipe can be easily modified to fit your preferences and availability of ingredients - because let's face it, we are living in some crazy times and I know our pantry/fridge situation is far from normal. We're just doing the best we can! So, the bottom line is, we ate this for dinner last night, loved it and I wanted to share. Do with it what you will!
Ingredients:
1 lb dry penne pasta (or whatever shape pasta you have on hand!)
4-6 C water (to boil pasta)
2 tbsp cooking oil
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (25oz) jar of marinara sauce
1 C milk (sub ½ C heavy cream or half & half)
¼ C sour cream (sub greek yogurt)
¼ C grated parmesan cheese
1 C frozen peas (optional)
1 (5.2 oz) package Boursin Garlic & Fine Herb soft cheese
1-2 tbsp fresh or dried parsley for garnish (optional)
Additional Supplies:
Dutch Oven Pot OR a Large Stock Pot and Oven Safe Baking Dish with a lid
Colander
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 deg (F).
Follow directions on the pasta packaging to cook the noodles until almost fully cooked, taking 3-4 minutes off of the boiling time.
NOTE: You do not want to cook the noodles all the way through since they will continue to cook in the oven.
In a large, oven safe pot (like a dutch oven), heat olive oil on medium heat.
NOTE: If you don’t have a dutch oven, that is okay. Use a regular stock pot to make the sauce, but have a baking dish on hand to transfer the pasta into once it’s ready for the oven.
To the pot, add the chopped onion and garlic. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the onions are soft.
To the onions and garlic, add the marinara sauce, milk and sour cream. Stir until evenly combined and let simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add Parmesan cheese and stir until fully melted. Reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer until the pasta is cooked.
Once the pasta is ¾ of the way cooked, strain out the water and add the noodles to the sauce. Stir. Add frozen peas and stir. Remove from heat.
NOTE: If you are using a regular stock pot, transfer the pasta from the stock pot to your baking dish.
Using a spoon, take 1-2 tbsp of the Boursin cheese at a time and dot the surface of the pasta until the cheese is gone.
Cover, and place in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes and serve!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4-5 servings
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