Live. Love. Learn. Laugh.: Cleaning Out the Fridge

This morning I opened the refrigerator to find a few too many straggling foods. These "hangers on" just needed to be finished. There's about a third of a can of black olives, half an onion, half a red pepper, about two cups of mozzarella left of a four-cup bag that's been around for nearly a month, and maybe half a cup of grated parmesan cheese that I only use for a specific recipe, so it just really needs to go because I only make that recipe once a year -- at the end of the year, and it's now the beginning of the year.

Okay, the wheels are turning, what shall I concoct? The mozzarella screams baked pasta dish. A quick check of the pantry solidifies my decision: canned tomatoes, a jar of red pasta sauce, and a box of whole wheat spaghetti. Baked spaghetti it shall be! Wonder if I have any of those fully cooked meatballs I like to keep in the freezer? Sure do! Now, I know I've got olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper so all is well, and I'm ready to throw this thing together.

I toss 15 meatballs in a sauce pot and add the jar of pasta sauce, can of diced tomatoes, and a handful of chopped garlic. The meatballs thaw in the sauce. I cover the pot and let its contents blend on medium-low heat. While the sauce is coming together, I boil some water, add salt, and the box of spaghetti. As the spaghetti is cooking, I pull the now defrosted meatballs from the sauce, quarter them, and return them to the sauce to simmer.

Normally I would clean up the edges of this pot prior to snapping the photo, but I'm in a hurry.

I drain the pasta, rinse it under cold water, and transfer it to a mixing bowl where I coat the pasta with olive oil, grated parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper before adding the sliced black olives, onion, and chopped red pepper. Humm, it's looking pretty good. I could probably add a little more oil with balsamic vinegar for pasta salad, but I won't this time because I'm committed to my baked spaghetti.

Coat a baking dish with a little olive oil , and transfer the pasta and veggies to the dish.

Cover with meat sauce, top with mozzarella cheese, cover with foil, and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

The finished product...

Let cool then cut into 9 large to 12 regular servings.

Serving Tips:

What I like about this dish is, one, I know it's gonna be tasty because when is a cheesy, baked pasta dish not delicious? Two, I can freeze several servings and pull them out when I don't have time to cook during the week. Served with a salad and bread the meal is complete with little effort.