Old-Fashioned Baked Pasta

Old is just a word. It’s time we give it some proper respect. We love the old world, old architecture, old wine. We cherish old memories and seek ancient, timeless wisdom.

Let’s make 2016  the year to look backwards for culinary inspiration. Did your Granny make baked casserole dinners enhanced by cream of mushroom soup? This old-fashioned Baked Pasta will bring murmurs of pleasure from all your dinner guests, young and old.

Old-Fashioned Baked Pasta

• 1 can (28 oz) tomatoes
• 1 can (10 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 t each dried oregano, sea salt
• 1/2 t cracked black peppercorns
• 5-6 c penne, cooked until barely tender (boiled 7 minutes), drained
• 2 1/2 c shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 c grated Pecorino-Reggiano
• 1/2 c fresh breadcrumbs
• 2 T melted butter

In a food processor, combine tomatoes and liquid, soup, salt, oregano and pepper. Pulse 3-4 times, until coarsely chopped and combined.

Lightly grease a slow cooker. Combine pasta, cheddar and tomato mixture in slow cooker.

In a bowl, combine Pecorino-Reggiano and bread crumbs. Sprinkle over pasta. Drizzle on butter. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours until hot and bubbling. Serves 8-10. Can be cooked in a 9 x 13-inch lightly oiled casserole in the oven for 60-75 minutes at 350F.

Old-Fashioned Baked Pasta Print Ready Recipe

Final notes:

• This Old-Fashioned Baked Pasta is not a Jittery invention. It’s from Judith Finlayson’s Slow Cooker Classics cookbook, which was sent to me for review. I have at least three different Judith Finlayson Slow Cooker cookbooks and give her credit for demystifying slow cooking, creating easy to produce and easy to follow recipes and coming up with wonderfully pleasing combinations. She is the slow-cooker maven.
• Check out the new science on an old obsession — craving comfort food.
• Watch Judith Finlayson slowly and deliciously describe slow cooking Italian Style Chicken with Potatoes on Le Gourmet TV.