Baked elbows

Hello all. Last night, I prepared some delish baked elbow mac. R called it fancy Hamburger Helper. Gourmet, even.

First, brown 1 lb of ground chuck and one chopped onion. Toss in some red pepper, salt, and black pepper. Meanwhile, prepare 1 lb of elbow macaroni or other short pasta, cooking a few minutes shy of al dente. In a large mixing bowl, mix 1 1/2 to 2 c marinara sauce*, 1 c ricotta, 1 c shredded Italian cheeses (usually a blend of mozzarella, asiago, parm, etc.), salt, pepper, and other seasonings, such as dried basil and oregano. Add the browned meat/onion mix and mix well, add in the pasta, mix well. Pour into a greased 9x13 casserole, top with more shredded cheese and some grated parm for good measure. Baked at 400 for 25 minutes, then crank on the broiler for 3-5 minutes to get the top nice and brown. Slam.




*Here's my chance to act like a Food Network chef - I store homemade marinara in the freezer, but if you don't have homemade, use your favorite store brand!