1. Mix & Match Baked Pasta
Pick a Pasta Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; cook 1 pound of pasta (choose from these) until very al dente, 2 or 3 minutes less than the label directs; drain.
Fusilli
Farfalle
Cavatappi
Rigatoni
Largeshells
Penne
Ziti
2. Make the Sauce
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 4 sliced garlic cloves and a pinch of red pepper flakes; cook until the garlic is golden. Crush a 28-ounce can and a 15-ounce can of plum tomatoes into the skillet with your hands; rinse out each can with 1/2 cup water and add the water to the skillet. Add 4 large basil sprigs; simmer, uncovered, until the sauce is thickened, 15 minutes. Discard the basil; season the sauce with salt. (Alternatively, heat 4 cups prepared tomato sauce.)
3. Choose Your Mix-ins
While the sauce simmers, prepare 3 cups meat and/or vegetables (in any combination).
Italian sausage, crumbled and cooked
Meatballs, cooked and quartered
Pepperoni, chopped
Rotisserie chicken, shredded
Hard-boiled eggs, chopped
Roasted red peppers, sliced
Frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and chopped
Zucchini, sliced and sautéed
Mushrooms, sliced and sautéed
Eggplant, sliced and sautéed
Fennel, sliced and sautéed
Spinach, chopped and sautéed
Escarole, chopped and sautéed
Black or green pitted olives, chopped
4. Flavor the Sauce
Stir one of the following ingredients into your sauce, then add your meat and/or vegetable mix-ins.
For herb sauce: 1 cup each chopped basil and parsley
For creamy sauce: 1 cup fresh ricotta
For meat sauce: 3/4 pound pancetta, diced and browned
5. Pick Your Cheese
Prepare 3 cups melting cheese and 1 cup grating cheese.
Melting Cheese
Fresh mozzarella, cubed
Mild provolone, shredded
Italian fontina, shredded
Young asiago, shredded
Grating Cheese
Parmesan, grated
Pecorino, grated
Ricotta salata, grated
Bake the Casserole
Toss the cooked pasta with the sauce and half of each cheese. Spread in an oiled 3-to-4-quart baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the pasta. Bake, uncovered, until browned, about 15 minutes. Let rest 15 minutes before serving.
Be sure to undercook the pasta for your casserole; it will soften in the oven.