Red and white Mostacciolis with Quinoa

I've been making this recipe for a couple of years now and it's become a family favorite. I've made it to bring as a take-in dinner and everyone always loves it. I love how adaptable it is and how simple the ingredients are. But the taste is always phenomenal. It's a great meatless meal if you're looking for delicious vegetarian meal ideas.

And isn't the name just cute? It kind of rolls off your tongue: mu-stash-ee-o-lees. The kids love to say it over and over again. And what does it mean? Little mustaches! :)

And if you're not convinced by that of our fondness for this dish, let me just tell you that it even has it's own nickname! Yeah. I have no idea who came up with it. It's "mu-stash" (with the emphasis on the "stash" part). After making it this last time (the one in the picture) I was informed that I had a made a very good batch of "mu-stash".

So there you have it folks. Mu-stash in all it's deliciousness. It's cute. And it's yummy. Our kids ask for it again and again. You just gotta make it. The end.

P.S. Maybe now the reason I posted the Alfredo sauce last week is even more clear. :)

Red and White Mostacciolis with Quinoa

Printable Recipe

*Serves 8-10

*Note: We often half this recipe for our family of four. I usually make the sauce recipes (in their entirety) and then freeze half of each. I haven't tried freezing and reheating the casserole. We're not big into frozen reheated pastas so freezing the sauce has always seemed best.

INGREDIENTS:

1 batch homemade spaghetti sauce with quinoa

1 lb. uncooked mostaccioli or other tubular pasta (I often use penne)

1 batch homemade Alfredo sauce

3 Cups shredded cheese (I like to use either mozzarella or a mozzarella-cheddar blend)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Prepare spaghetti sauce according to the recipe below. While that is simmering, cook the pasta according to package directions until it is just barely under cooked. Almost done, but still a tad bit crunchy. Do not overcook. Meanwhile, prepare the Alfredo sauce. When everything is done, spread a thin layer of spaghetti sauce in a 9 x 12" baking dish. Layer half of the pasta, half of the Alfredo sauce, half of the spaghetti sauce, and 1-1/2 cups of the cheese. Repeat the layering with the remaining pasta, Alfredo sauce, spaghetti sauce, and cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 5 minutes. If desired you can broil the top for a few minutes to brown the cheese, being careful not to over broil (I love browned cheese). Serve with bread sticks and a green salad.

*Recipe Source: Adapted from The Food Nanny