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Easy Cheesy Throw together leftover makeover!
As you all know the last couple of weeks have been tough on me and real cooking was at first impossible and then improbable as I nursed a sick kid and then got everyone ready for the high school play! I was lucky to have a few items frozen in so I could simply reheat them and that definitely saved us time and effort.
One day though, when my hand was feeling much better but not up to major culinary magic, I looked into my fridge and I was hankering for something gooey and delicious. All I could see was a small container of left over cheese sauce, some roasted root vegetables, left over whole wheat pasta and some chianti uncured salami, along with various other sundry items that would need major cook time.
What to do? What to do? I thought and then, it hit me! I have this great little metal chaffing dish. What if I put all this stuff together and baked it up? Would it be good? How would I dress it up so it was delectable? I started listening to my intuitive inner foodie voice and then the kale jumped up and said, “pick me!” and the shredded parmesan said, “oh me too!” A plan was born, and it was a good plan!
Cheesy Roasted Vegetable Pasta Bake
Serves 4
2-3 Cups cooked penne pasta or other shaped pasta (I used whole wheat)
2 Cups roasted root vegetables or any hearty diced vegetable that will not get too liquid, cooked in butter or bacon fat
1 Cup Alfredo Sauce (see my recipe from my Crazy mixed up pasta)
1 Cup diced salami, pepperoni, summer sausage or ham
1 Cup shredded cheese like Parmesan or Guyere
1 Cup raw bitter greens with all stems and tough bits removed. I used kale, but even arugula would work
1 Tsp. dried oregano
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Butter for greasing the pan
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a deep covered casserole dish with butter. Layer in a portion of pasta, root vegetables, meat and greens. Pour over a portion of cheese sauce and sprinkle with shredded cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Repeat layering until all your ingredients are used up or you reach 1/2 inch under the casserole lid. Sprinkle on oregano and finish with some shredded cheese.
Bake covered in the oven for 30 minutes and then remove the lid and bake another 15 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling up and the top is golden brown. Allow to sit for a few minutes before serving like lasagna.
My family adored this recipe. It was a completely new combination of flavors from flavors that they already loved! The root vegetables went so well with the spicy salami we used and the cheese sauce and greens set the whole thing a step above normal! While you may never have all these ingredients on hand, the point of this recipe if for you to look at the little odd bits of leftovers you have and create new dishes by sprucing them up and rethinking what works together. Sure, you might have a flop every once in a while, but you didn’t really have much to lose and you cleaned out your refrigerator! Or, on the other hand, you could create a recipe that you will make again like I did!
This recipe is a part of the Hearth and Soul Hop-volume 27, Friday Potluck, Foodie Friday, Fat Camp Friday, Fun with Food Friday, Decidedly Healthy or Horridly Decadent Blog Hop, Remodelaholic’s Anonymous 59, Food on Fridays, Friday Favorites, Tasty Traditions and Recipe Swap Thursdays. You can also check out some of my other featured hop recipes if you like!
Twitter: Miriam Barton
December 14th, 2010 on 1:06 am
What a delicious recipe! I am now following you
. Hope to see you around soon at Meatless Meals For Meat Eaters
December 14th, 2010 on 7:40 am
YUM, I really like that this is less pasta than a regular pasta dish. I don’t know why, but pasta is not my favorite food. Penne is my favorite to eat however! I love leftover makeover meals, it excite the frugal in me, thanks Alex.
December 14th, 2010 on 7:50 am
Holy cow! This looks so good! My kind of meal! Happy Holidays!
Twitter: HungerThirst
December 14th, 2010 on 12:48 pm
Aw, girl, you do my heart good when you create dishes intuitively. Looks like just what the doctor ordered, gooey comfort. I bet the roasted veg added a nice depth of flavor. Thanks for bringing such a great dish to the Hearth and Soul hop.
December 14th, 2010 on 3:12 pm
Alex, This looks so good…my kind of comfort food. And even a little healthy. This would make anyone want to eat their vegetables.
Twitter: apriljharris
December 15th, 2010 on 5:29 am
This sounds so good! I’ve never used root vegetables with pasta before and I have no idea why because we love them! Thanks for sharing another great recipe
Twitter: girlichef
December 15th, 2010 on 7:23 am
Oh, that kale! It’s always begging for my attention, as well
This sounds wonderful…so cheesy and comforting and delicious! Love it…beautiful hearth and soul hop post…warms my soul 
December 16th, 2010 on 3:39 pm
You are the Left-Over Queen! That bake sounds like a great take on what was available at the moment. I do that a lot. Can’t stand to throw things away.
February 18th, 2011 on 4:51 pm
What is not to love about this dish?! I need to go make dinner now. yum!
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February 18th, 2011 on 9:54 pm
Satisfying combination listed in the ingredients, and I definitely want to follow your link to the roasted root vegetables. I’d like to have some on hand for a throw-together solution like this! Thanks for linking to Food on Fridays today.
Ann Kroeker recently posted..Food on Fridays- Hershey’s Fudge
February 20th, 2011 on 9:27 pm
In my previous place, I grew kale year round – easiest veg to grow and lovely. But, haven’t gotten the vegetable garden in in the years since my move and have not bought it once! It’s fallen off my radar. Time to put it back on the grocery list – this looks so yummy!
February 23rd, 2011 on 7:52 pm
Yummy dish! Thanks for sharing and welcome to Tasty Traditions. I hope to see you again.
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