Hi Guys, welcome back! Hope everyone is having a happy Friday. It’s a rainy Friday here in Missouri. There is something about a rainy day that just makes me want to snuggle up and eat comfort food. My daughter and I usually always bake cookies on rainy days. I actually really love them…and it makes us appreciate the sunny days so much more! 😉 Okay okay…so today I have a recipe for you that is one of our family’s favorite dinners and also a yummy rainy day comfort food. Baked pasta…need I say more? Ooey gooey cheesy yummy comfort in a dish. The sauce is made from scratch also, not a jarred or canned sauce….which I adore. This recipe comes from a Paula Deen cookbook, The Lady & Sons, Too! I love Paula Deen…her spirit, spunk, zest for life and of course her love of food. To put it simply, she’s fabulous! The recipe actually comes from Paula’s head cook at her Lady & Son’s restaurant in Savannah, Dora Charles. Paula says she really puts her big toe in this dish. I love that southern expression!
Enjoy Y’all…as always…Just Keep Cooking!
xo,Jacque
Ingredients gathered…
Beginning layers of sauce and pasta…
Layer of cheese next…cheese makes everything better!
Layered up and ready for the oven…
Ooey gooey and ready to eat!
I’m hungry…going to heat up the leftovers now…did I mention this makes a big 9×13 pan and heats up wonderful?! Enjoy!!!
- 2 cups canned diced tomatoes
- 2 cups tomato sauce
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup diced onions
- 1/2 cup diced green bell peppers
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1-1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1-1/2 tsp seasoned salt
- 1-1/2 tsp Lady's House Seasoning *about 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and 1/4 tsp garlic powder. You can add these to taste!
- 1-1/2 tsp sugar
- 2 small bay leaves
- 1-1/2 pounds ground beef
- 8 ounces angel hair pasta *half of a 16 oz package
- 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
- 1 cup grated Monterey jack cheese
- In stockpot, combine the tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, onions, peppers, garlic, parsley, seasonings, sugar, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered for 1 hour. Crumble ground beef in a skillet and cook until no pink remains; drain fat. Add the ground beef to the sauce mixture and simmer for 20 min. While the sauce simmers, cook pasta as directed on package.
- Cover the bottom of 13x9x2 inch pan with sauce. Add a layer of pasta, then cheese; repeat the layers, ending with sauce. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and cook until cheese is melted and bubbly. Cut into squares to serve.
This looks great for a big family dinner,
I am going to make it this summer.
Thanks Jacque!!!
I hope you enjoy it, Shelly! This is my favorite spaghetti recipe. I love that you can make it ahead of time and just pop it in the oven when your ready. It feeds a bunch and the leftovers reheat very well. 🙂