Baked Pasta

A large baking dish, casserole, or other oven-safe dish

Pre-heat your oven to medium/hot (300-400)

Basic tomato sauce, or any variation, one batch

Cook the sauce. When it's started simmering, put on the pasta water.

Pasta, dried or fresh, around 1 pound

Boil the pasta until just al dente, or slightly firmer, then drain.

Put the pasta in a bowl, pour the sauce over it, and toss them together by lifting up through the pasta with tongs or a serving fork.

Variation: Alternately, put the pasta in the sauce pot and stir on low heat for a minute or two to combine.

Ricotta cheese, 2 pounds

Eggs, around 1 per pound

Beat the eggs into the ricotta.

Parmesan cheese, around 1 cup, coarsely grated

Variation: Optionally, add:

Mozarella cheese, 1 pound, coarsely grated or thinly sliced

Goat cheese, a large log, crumbled or cut into pieces

Scoop several spoonfuls of pasta and tomato into the bottom of the baking dish to form a thin layer, then spread out a couple spoonfuls of ricotta and scatter in some parmesan or other cheeses, then make another pasta layer, continuing until you've used up all your ingredients.

Variation: Optionally, for a crunchier topping, add:

Bread crumbs, around half a cup, scattered over the top with the parmesan.

Variation: Optionally, for a softer top, cover the pan in tin foil for most of the baking time.

Place pan in middle rack of oven and cook for around half an hour, or until it's hot all the way through.