Saturday, January 18, 2025

A Very Simple Baked Pasta {New} To Make Now or Save For Later + More Recipes to Make for Friends in Need

Hello Friends,

I have been wanting to share this simple baked pasta recipe since the fall, when I made five of them for my daughter's school soccer team's pasta party, and which gave me such an appreciation for the baked pasta genre.

Hours before the party, the pans of pasta were assembled and ready to go. Thirty minutes before the girls were due to arrive, into the oven they went. Just as the girls stepped into the house, shin guards and cleats flying everywhere, out came the piping hot pasta bakes, cheese bubbling, tips charred, corners crisp.

How nice, I thought, as the girls tucked into the simple spread — baked pasta, salad, focaccia, veggies and hummus — to have everything made in advance? Earlier in the week I made the tomato sauce and the large batch Caesar dressing, and for ease, I bought the hummus (Little Sesame brand, which we all love). Overall, it was not a big effort, and, cheesy as it sounds, it warmed my heart to have a houseful of giggling girls.

I have made this pasta bake a handful of times since for friends in need for various reasons. When I have the time, I make the sauce, when I don't, I buy it. Sometimes I make it without any additions, sometimes I add sausage and greens, sometimes I add roasted mushrooms. It lends itself well to improvising, and I just think everyone needs a recipe like this in their repertoire, one they can assemble quickly, one that feeds a lot of people, one that's delicious and comforting.

PS: I recently made Lukas Volger's Roasted Mushroom Polenta Bake, and I had forgotten how much I love it:


Review of the Week

Foolproof Homemade Bagels

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"I live on a sailboat in the South Pacific and have been trying to make bagels for a while now. Supplies are difficult to come by here so I am never sure of the quality of flour I am able to get. The last bagels I made tasted fine but were more of a flatbread than a bagel I decided to try these and due to timing issues – I only let them sit in the fridge for 6 hours. They are amazingly perfect and just what I was looking for!"

— Pat


Other Meals for Friends in Need

As the fires continue wreaking havoc, from afar, it is hard to comprehend the situation: Where has everyone gone? Where do they even begin starting over? My friends living in the Los Angeles area, whose homes are safe, have been housing rotating groups of evacuees, both family and friends. I have no idea what mealtime looks like in this time of crisis, but below you'll find a few meals I've relied on over the years when cooking for friends in need.

Pasta with Chicken, Lemon & White Wine (Freezable)

Butternut Squash Lasagna with Greens & Mushrooms

Quinoa Bake with Roasted Butternut Squash

Vermont Cheddar Cheese Soup

Lentil Soup (Make a double batch!)

My Mother's Peasant Bread


In Case You Missed It:


The Calabrian Chili Crisp You Will Want to Drizzle Over Everything

In Friday's pizza newsletter, I shared a recipe for homemade Calabrian chili crisp from Dan Pelosi's book, Let's Eat. I haven't been so excited to share a recipe in ages... it's so tasty! Get the recipe here:


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Thank You

Thank you to all who have ordered Pizza Night.


5 Free Resources Available to You

PS: All previous editions of this newsletter can be found here.

Happy Cooking,


Alexandra Stafford



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