Baked Pasta

When it comes to satisfying comfort foods, you want them to be warm, gooey and uncomplicated. Baked pasta may just be the easiest one to make. Boil some pasta, toss it with a few ingredients, some sauce and cheese, then stick it in the oven. Clean up the kitchen while it bakes and you've got a tasty dinner that's ideal for colder weather. It's a great meal to make for a date because it looks and tastes like it took a lot of time and skill. Not to mention, it usually leaves you a lot of delicious leftovers. This meatless recipe has been adapted from a handful of different dishes, but you can make it your own by adding and subtracting the roasted vegetables to your liking. I sometimes stir in chopped kale, artichoke hearts and mushrooms or swap in smoked fontina cheese for the standard mozzarella.

Baked pastas should sit for about ten minutes after baking. This prevents the gooey ingredients from oozing all over the plate and also lets the dish cool off a little.