Simply Seasoned Tomatoes and Pasta Casserole

Ingredients

• 3 cups cooked quinoa pasta
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 onion (chopped)
• 4 garlic cloves (chopped)
• 5 Roma tomatoes (diced)
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• liberal use of crushed pepper corn
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese (shredded)
• few more shakes of oregano

Instructions

1. Prepare quinoa pasta. This does not take long to do, keep in mind, this recipe calls for cooked pasta, not dry.
2. Pre-heat oven at 375 degrees fahrenheit.
3. In a large pot, heat olive oil on medium-high. When warm, add onions, garlic, basil, oregano, salt and crushed pepper corn. Sauté until caramelized and onions are translucent (about 3-4 minutes).
4. Stir in tomatoes and cook until sauce starts to thicken (about 10-15 minutes).
5. In a casserole, dish combine the sauce and 3 cups of cooked quinoa pasta, stir. Top with cheese, evenly distributing across and finish by giving a few shakes of oregano.
6. Place in the oven and cook until cheese is gold-n-brown (about 22-25 minutes).
7. Serve with a side of broccoli, cuz it makes it that much better!

Inspiration

What was in the house during a snow storm– in the middle of April! :)

Closing

I had wanted to make something with the quinoa pasta sitting in my pantry, that happens to be gluten-free. Let me preface, I do not live in a gluten-free household. Before posting this recipe, I wanted to double check that mozzarella is actually gluten free… apparently it’s not, since it is a complex cheese. I learned something new! So, if you are looking to make this meal gluten free, either exchange the cheese with one that is, I considered using ground chickpeas or leave it off entirely.

My tomato sauces generally still have the peels from the tomatoes when I make it. I do not go out of my way to boil it off. If that is something you like to do, more power to you! The sauce, overall, is simple but quite versatile. I’ve used it on a number of other recipes (that has yet to be posted).

I feel that this dish, while very tasty, lacks some vegetables. By adding some steamed broccoli, on the side, it makes the meal go a long way.

In the future, I might double the pasta and sauce, there just was not quite enough for leftovers!

Enjoy!