Baked Beef and Mushroom Penne

Posted by Dexie

I was going to make a casserole using the penne pasta and cream of mushroom but opted at the last minute to bake it with beef, mushroom and spaghetti sauce instead. I can be impulsive when it comes to cooking sometimes. That's because I love experimenting. I don't like being constricted to a certain recipe. Unless I'm making cookies, baking cakes or pies, I am always modifying and adding ala Dexie style to the dishes I make. This is why a mentally plan 1-week menu works well for me but a One-Month menu, no matter how ideally organized it is, never will. As much as I would love to be organized, my impulsiveness wouldn't let me :).

INGREDIENTS:
a box of penne, cook according to the box
strips of beef
sliced mushrooms
1 can of spaghetti sauce
1 tsp of sugar
a pich of dried basil
grated parmesan cheese
shredded cheddar cheese

Cook your pasta. Drain the water, then set aside. You should be doing this while sauteing the beef so the pasta wouldn't be sitting too long.

Saute beef in olive oil. When cooked add the slices of mushroom. Let that cook for about 2 minutes. Pour over the spaghetti sauce, sprinkle 1 tsp of sugar, then add the dried basil. Stir and cook for a little bit.

Pour the sauce mixture into the cooked pasta, stir in 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Transfer the whole thing in a lasagna pan. Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese on top, then shredded cheddar cheese. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, 355F.

Serve with warm french bread. You can spread garlic butter on bread if you like :).

TAGS: Beef, Italian, Mushrooms, Pasta, Penne
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