Creamy Herb and Garlic Pasta Bake
This cheesy creamy pasta dish takes the classic tomato flavour and adds the creaminess from the cream cheese.
Equipment
- 1 9x13 casserole dish
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 large cooking onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 can whole tomatoes
- 3 handfuls fresh spinach
- 1 jar your favorite spaghetti sauce
- ½ tub cottage cheese
- ½ tub herb and garlic cream cheese
- pasta water to thin
- 3 cup partially cooked pasta
- 1 cup shredded cheese
- 4-5 leaves fresh basil
- 1 tsp fresh thyme
- 1 tsp oregano
- ½ tsp celery salt
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- in a large deep frying pan begin to brown the ground beef ground beef over medium heat.
- dice one large onion, peel and coarsely chop garlic add both to the pan once the meat is almost fully cooked
- add salt and pepper to your usual preference
- add 1 can of whole tomato juice and allow to simmer and cook until the tomatoes break down and create a sauce. Stirring occasionally so they don't stick to the bottom of the pan
- add a jar of tomato sauce, Spinach and seasoning
- once everything has melded well together add cottage cheese and cream cheese.
- allow everything to simmer a while to melt the cheese then stir to combine everything together.
- allow everything to simmer a bit on low heat while you boil the water and partially cook the pasta of your choice. I used fusilli
- taste the sauce and add more salt or pepper if you feel like it could use some
- once the pasta is partially cooked take about 2 ladles worth of pasta water out of the pot and add it to the sauce to thin it out a bit.
- drain the remaining water from the pasta and add the pasta to the sauce directly.
- fold everything together until the pasta is fully coated in the sauce.
- pre heat oven to 350℉
- pour pasta into a 9x13 inch casserole dish
- top with grated cheese
- bake for 20-30 min or until the cheese is melted and beautifully bubbly.
- allow dish to rest for 5-10 min before serving