Ours is a small household – just the two of us and three critters – so when I make pasta sauce, we have leftovers.
Good thing, then, that I came across this recipe from the days of The Panama Canal Zone that is custom made for turning leftovers into a tasty dinner. Sometimes, I don’t even wait for leftovers, and just start out to make a batch.
If your household is small, you will have leftovers, but this freezes a treat, so…
INGREDIENTS
•1 lb linguini
•Pork Amatriciana Sauce
•2 cups shredded cheddar cheese*
•1 cup sliced Kalamata olives
•Olive oil
•Bread crumbs
*I often use Pepper Jack, for a bit of a creamy kick.
Cook the pasta in salted water, then drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
Toss the pasta with the half cup of cooking water, then add the olives, one cup of the cheese, and three cups of the Pork Amatriciana sauce.
Note: feel free to use your own fave sauce.
Heat your oven to 350º,.
Lightly oil a 9×12 baking pan and layer the pasta and cheese mixture evenly into it.
Add another two to three cups of the sauce over the top.
Sprinkle the pasta evenly with the bread crumbs, then cover the pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove the foil, scatter additional cheese over the top, and bake for another 30 minutes, until the cheese is nicely melted and the casserole is heated through.
Loosely cover with foil, let rest for ten minutes before serving.