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{This post is sponsored by Andy Boy Broccoli Rabe, I used their Broccoli Rabe to make a cozy pasta bake that’s the perfect winter meal!}
Who agrees that Sunday pasta bakes are a must?
Typically around here Sunday night dinner is a little more chill than most other nights, so if all the family is around it’s the perfect night to sit down with everyone and eat a delicious dinner. Oddly, today is one of those Sundays. All of the family is in town after a busy weekend, so I am really excited to be making this bake, because it’s the perfect meal to please everyone.
As you guys may know, I have some seriously picky eaters in my family and it’s hard to come up with a meal that everyone will enjoy. If there’s one type of recipe that’s always a safe bet, it’s a baked pasta, especially baked pasta with spicy Italian meat sauce and lots of cheese on top…aka lasagna the easy way…aka a Gerard family favorite!
One of my favorite things to do on a Sunday is to have some kind of red sauce simmering on the stove. I don’t know what it is, but for some reason it just epitomizes Sunday to me. I love the smells, the warmth the stove gives off (seriously)…and the all-around comfort it brings to the house. Not to mention the delicious dinner it’s going to make.
When I do any kind of pasta bake, I always love to sneak in some kind of vegetable. Not gonna lie, my family can be seriously tricky when it comes to sneaking in veggies, especially those of the green kind. When I first started cooking, I would get really sneaky and puree vegetables like pumpkin and butternut squash, but within the last year the fam has started expanding their palates and trying some new veggies. Meaning, I can sometimes get away with using green food in my recipes. YES, finally they are learning!
I still have to be cautious with exactly what kind of vegetables I use and how they are prepared. They are still not fans of raw veggies, in any way, but roasted is OK. So for this pasta bake I roasted up some broccoli rabe and mixed it in with all the yummy sauce and pasta. I was curious to see what everyone would think of the roasted broccoli rabe, but you know? They loved it, and everyone agreed that this pasta bake is delicious…veggies and all.
So here’s how this recipe works. Start out by making the sauce, which is just like a classic lasagna sauce, but can be made a little quicker if you’re short on time. If you do have time though, simmer the sauce all day long and then throw everything together before serving. If you’d like to make this ahead, you can assemble the pasta dish in advance and then bake right before serving. So really, you can make this recipe work whether you’re short on time, need to plan in advance, or have all day to let it cook. Gotta love a versatile recipe!
This is one of my new go-to’s, it’s easy to make and everyone loves it! Excited to see what my oldest brother, who is not normally in town, thinks of this dish…he’s a huge fan of Italian, so I’m thinking he’s going to love it!
Oh, and super important…a side of garlic bread! Because I mean, it’s Sunday and we all just need a little carby comfort food! Yes, please!
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ps. all that roasted broccoli rabe makes this one count as a “Healthy January” recipe… 🙂
{This post is sponsored by Andy Boy Broccoli Rabe. Thank you for supporting the brands that keep Half Baked Harvest cooking!! }
Stumbled across this recipe searching for broccoli rabe. We accidentally planted rabe in our fall garden thinking it was broccolini….ummmmmm..no.
What a great way to use the rabe! Loved it! One question…do you have any recommendations on what to do with the abundance of broccoli rabe leaves? Such a unique but great flavor…
Hey Kim,
Happy Wednesday!! I truly appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was a hit:) Lol so sorry I don’t, I never really use it! xx
Made this last night – it was amazing!!! I put blue cheese just on a little strip for me, because I love it and the rest of the fam isn’t a fan – I used mozz on the rest. I LOVED it!! Everyone gobbled it up, and the addition of the broccoli rabe was incredible!
Hey Amanda,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Thanks for this recipe! Do you keep the oven at 400 degrees when you bake the pasta ?
Hey Maya,
Yes that is correct! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This was the perfect comfort food we needed for election night, nom,nom!
Yes!! So happy you loved this recipe, Suzanne! xTieghan
Have you tried this with broccolini? I wonder if that would taste well.
Hi Katherine! Yes it will taste great! I hope you love this! xTieghan