Tomato and Mozzarella Pasta Casserole
Tender penne cooks in a garlicky tomato sauce and finishes with a generous layer of soft, melted mozzarella.
10 min
Prep
180 min
Cook
4
Serves
610
Calories
Macros · per serving
31g protein
83g carbs
18g fat
Ingredients
For 4 servings
- 350 g penne
- 800 g canned crushed tomato
- 250 g mozzarella
- 3 clove garlic
- 500 ml water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 0.25 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- 1
Choose low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella made with vegetarian or microbial rennet. Grate it and keep refrigerated until the final cooking stage. Peel and mince the garlic.
- 2
Add the crushed tomato, garlic, water, olive oil, oregano, salt and black pepper to a 4-quart Crock-Pot. Stir, cover and cook on HIGH for 2 hours, until the sauce is hot and bubbling around the edges.
- 3
Stir the dry penne into the hot sauce, pressing it beneath the liquid. Cover and cook on HIGH for about 50 minutes, stirring thoroughly after 25 minutes. Start checking at 40 minutes; the pasta should be just tender and the sauce thickened. If necessary, continue on HIGH in 5-minute intervals until tender.
- 4
Stir 125 g mozzarella into the pasta, then scatter the remaining 125 g evenly over the top. Cover and cook on HIGH for 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the center reaches 165°F (74°C) on a food thermometer.
- 5
Turn off the Crock-Pot and divide the casserole among four bowls, keeping some melted cheese on each portion.
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