Years ago I found a recipe for a penne pasta bake type meal. I absolutely loved it! For some reason my roommate at the time hated it and threw my recipe away. I have been searching for something similar and so far I’ve found nothing that comes close to it. I’m giving this recipe a try tonight. I’m hoping it’s delicious because I made a bunch and will be eating it for the rest of the week, unless I freeze some of it for later. I found this easy to make with little preparation and little cook time. The start-to-finish time: 25 minutes.
Meaty Penne Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dried penne
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 14 ounce can whole Italian-style tomatoes, undrained
- 1/2 6 ounce can Italian-style tomato paste
- 1/4 cup dry red wine or tomato juice
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup sliced pitted ripe olives
- 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese (2 ounces) (I use a full cup of cheese when I make this. I like cheese. Get over it.)
- Fresh oregano leaves (optional)
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well. Return pasta to hot pan; cover to keep warm.
- Meanwhile, in a very large skillet, cook ground beef and onion until meat is brown. Drain off fat. In a blender or food processor, combine undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, sugar, dried oregano, and pepper. Cover and blend or process until smooth.
- Stir tomato mixture into meat mixture in skillet. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in cooked pasta and olives. Cover and heat through.
- Sprinkle individual servings with mozzarella cheese. If desired, garnish with oregano leaves.
Soooooo…. no bacon and no curry? How can this be any good?