Better Baked

There are certain things that I think are just better when they have been baked. Heat has a way of enhancing textures and flavors. Of course, the key is to not add too much heat or you end up with charcoal. This dish is something that I picked up from Rachel Ray and have modified slightly. Typically you start with a couple tablespoons of EVOO and some garlic in a pan. You slowly construct your own red sauce using cans of diced tomatoes and whole tomatoes that you boil down and break apart. In the meantime you boil your noodles and make a creamy cheese sauce that is added to the noodles and red sauce. This particular night I was running really short on time and decided to cheat slightly with a some red sauce from a jar along with some canned tomatoes. I do have to say that I browned up some Italian sausage to kick things up a notch. Sure ground beef and ground turkey can be great in red sauce, but there is nothing like a good Italian sausage in a pasta dish. I tossed together the sausage, noodles, and hearty red sauce in a large pan.



The garlic cream sauce started out with two cloves of diced garlic in some EVOO. Once the garlic had been given a little time to sweat I made a basic rue of butter and flour. To the rue and garlic I added two cups of milk and stirred while heating to just under a boil. Once the cream sauce was nice and hot I added 1/2 cup asiago and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese to thicken things up. This cream sauce was then poured over the top of the noodles, red sauce, and sausage. You get a really great creamy richness when you add the second sauce without having to feel like you are over doing it with all cream sauce.



The real kicker for this dish is when you sprinkle 1/2 cup of parm and 2 cups of mozzarella all over the top of the pasta. The whole thing goes under a broiler to allow for that great crispification. (You know that is a word and if it isn't it should be.) I mean who does not like crusty melted cheese? You do not have to sacrifice an hour of bake time to get that great cheese crust. You simply need to use your broiler. Your broiler is that coil on the inside top of your oven that you probably never use. The broiler trick allows this dish to have a whole new dimension that feels baked without all the time and commitment. Your broiler is your friend and I encourage you to try experimenting with other ways that it can enhance your cooking. Lets face it, pasta is better when it is baked with cheese on the top!!