"Faux"-sagna

OK, first things first......a great big Roooooooooooollllllllllll TIDE ROLL!!! I am so proud of Bama for how they played last night. They are looking so good and I just know they'll get even better as the season progresses. I was actually pretty nervous about the game, but they came out ready to play and I was really impressed. Can't wait til next weekend!! OK, now with the recipe.....

Tonight was supposed to be lasagna night on our menu, but I just wasn't very impressed with the way my lasagna came out last time so I decided to just do a baked pasta instead. Once I got things going and ready to pour into a dish to bake it all together, I decided to try a play on lasagna. I mixed my meat sauce and noodles together, added a little ricotta, parsley, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, and baked it for a bit. Voila! So good, so easy, and tasted like la"faux"-sagna. 

Nom nom nom nom nom

Cheesy, gooey deliciousness.

"Faux"- sagna

Serves appr. 5-6 people. Great for company, leftovers the next day, or freezing for later.

Ingredients:

1 jar pasta sauce (use your favorite, I used a simple Bertolli Tomato & Basil)

1 box bowtie pasta (or any small pasta you like that's a little flat like lasagna noodles)

1 lb ground beef

about 1/2 container Ricotta Cheese (I used part-skim to cut calories, but regular would be MUCH better!)

Parsley - however much you like. I just shook it several times.

Shredded Mozzarella cheese (y'all know I don't really measure, so use your own judgement here)

Grated Parmesan cheese (and here!) 

Directions:

Get pasta going according to directions on box.

Brown ground beef, drain. I like to season my meat with a little oregano once it's almost fully browned. Just my preference. 

Pour pasta sauce over beef, flavor with any herbs, or some s & p if desired. Let simmer for about 10 minutes, or until pasta is done. **Tip: I always add just a splash of water into my pasta sauce jar, shake it up real well, then pour it into the pan. It gets out the last little bit of sauce that sticks to the side of the jar, and thins out the sauce just slightly.**

Drain pasta and dump into meat sauce, mix well. 

Mix ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan, and parsley with pasta until well combined. Taste and add any seasonings needed.

Pour pasta into greased baking dish, sprinkle a little mozzarella and parmesan on top, bake at 375 for about 20-30 minutes.

So good, so easy, and will freeze great for later!

YUM!

Bon appétit! I hope you enjoy!

(I wish the lighting was better in my kitchen so pictures would turn out better. It was storming so no natural light was available either.)

Y'all have a great Labor Day!