Sunday, February 3, 2013

BBQ Pasta Bake

A lot of times when I am short on time, pasta is my go to meal.  It's quick, easy, and filling.  Spaghetti and tomato sauce can get old quick, so I like to try and get creative.  This is one of those dishes that was thrown together last minute, but was a real winner with my family!

BBQ Pasta Bake
Rigatoni noodles (1 lb or 1 box)
Sorry for the blurry pic.  My camera is in Fed Ex's custody still!
Salt (for water)
1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
1 tbsp. tomato paste
2 tsp. dried basil
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. garlic salt
3 tbsp. bbq sauce
1 tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. brown sugar
1/2 cup onion
1/2 cup bell pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
12 meatballs (homemade* or store bought)

Boil pasta in salted water until al dente.  In a saucepan, add the remained of the ingredients except the cheese and the meatballs.  Simmer for 15 minutes on medium heat, stir every so often.  Preheat the oven to 325 while the sauce cooks down.  For the last few minutes, add the meatballs.  Next toss the noodles with the sauce and 1/2 cup of cheese.  Pour into a baking dish and cover the pasta with the remainder of the cheese.  Bake for 102 minutes until the cheese has begun to bubble. 
Serve with a salad, by itself, or with any sides you'd enjoy with bbq!  Makes approx. 4-8 servings.
 
 
*My meatballs were homemade.  I will post a recipe for them soon!

5 comments:

  1. Mmmm, this looks so yummy!! I am gonna have to try with Cauliflower instead of noodles though. We stay away from pasta, but I find cauliflower actually works just fine with these kinds of dishes and it's pretty yummy too! :D

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  2. Sounds delicious, will have to try!

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  3. Christine.....cauliflower would be an awesome way to sneak some veggies in on my kids! I'm going to have to try that!

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  4. This sounds like great comfort food! Definitely pinning it here: http://pinterest.com/designbyhart/recipes/. Might even feature it on my blog as part of my Monthly Menu Plan here: http://www.designbyhart.blogspot.com/2013/02/monthly-menu-for-february.html.

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  5. Thank you so much for the *love*! Checking out your blog now!!!

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