"PastaBake" news and stories

Lasagna isn't really my thing. I will happily eat it when others prepare it, but I've always found it to be sort of fussy and unappealing to make on my own (all that pasta pre-boiling and careful layering just left me cold). Besides, I always felt like you could get comparable flavors with a pasta bake - noodles tumbled together with garlicky red sauce, sauteed spinach and a carton of ricotta cheese and topped with a generous layer of mozzarella cheese has always been my favorite.

However, having seen the grilled veggie lasagna that Julie posted yesterday, I'm starting to rethink my previous anti-lasagna position. For one thing, the step-by-step pictures she took are really lovely and show off the rustic beauty of the grilled veggies. Her recipe also reminded me that you can use no-bake noodles, rendering one of my lasagna complaints moot. And lastly, seeing it done, it just doesn't look that difficult or fiddly. I may be a convert sooner, rather than later.

How about the rest of you? Are you a lasagna maker or more of a pasta bake person?

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While I don't have kids or a family yet, I do have lots of friends and on occasion I've found myself needing to feed a crowd. When that happens, I almost always turn to the pasta bake. Easier than lasagna but with similar appeal, I've yet to have anyone turn down this medley of pasta, cheese, tomato sauce and spinach (although the vegans, lactose intolerant and gluten-free folks would have to take a pass). I always make it without meat in case a vegetarian turns up, but you could easily stir some browned beef or sausage into the sauce. This is perfect if your kids have friends coming over to spend the night or you want to make something that will provide leftovers. It's also a hit at potlucks.