Cheesy Baked Penne

One casserole dish; one unbelievably awesome meal! You've got layers of tender, cheese-coated pasta, herby marinara sauce and stretchy, buttery mozzarella. Like baked ziti, but richer, fresher and undeniably satiating!

This dish is much better than traditional baked ziti for two reasons. First, I coat my freshly cooked noodles olive oil and parmesan cheese before layering them in the dish. That means every noodle is cheesy, and we're building flavor from the bottom up. Second, this dish reigns supreme because I didn't add ricotta cheese. As wonderful as ricotta is, I think it weakens the overall flavor of the dish by mellowing out the herbs and spices in the sauce. Of course, you could add herbs and spices to the cheese layer (which some recipes do), but that's another step, and one that I find unnecessary.

So there you go - two simple swaps that change the baked-pasta-dish game entirely. So simple, but the results are astounding. Just try it and you'll be a believer.

Cheesy Baked Penne 

1 pound penne pasta or pasta shape of choice
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
2 cups tomato sauce, from a carton or can
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Salt and ground black pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Crushed red pepper flakes for serving

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and return the pasta to the pot. Add the olive oil and toss to coat. Add the 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese and toss to coat.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine tomato sauce, oregano, basil, garlic powder, and onion powder. Set the pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce the the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Spoon about 1/2 cup of the sauce into the bottom of a casserole dish and spread out to cover the surface. Top the sauce with half of the cooked pasta. Top with half of the remaining sauce and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese.
Top with the remaining pasta, remaining sauce and remaining mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 10 minutes (to prevent the foil from sticking to the cheese, spray it with cooking spray). Uncover and bake for 5 to 7 more  minutes, until the cheese melts.
Top with crushed red pepper flakes and serve.
Serves 4