The Lazy Vegetarian

Recipe - Syrian Pasta Bake

About 15 years ago, a neighbor gave me a family recipe for a baked pasta dish. Recently, I decided to create a vegetarian version of this dish, but could not find the original recipe, so I winged it. Here is my version. The taste is a little different than most pasta dishes, which makes it a bit more interesting. This recipe makes a large batch, good for a crowd or lots of leftovers. It is not totally "lazy", but not that much work. Serve with a Greek salad.

1 box (about 13 oz) penne pasta*, cooked al dente

1 med onion, diced into large chunks
1 clove garlic, minced (can use jarred garlic, or substitute garlic powder when adding spices)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 package Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Grillers Recipe Crumbles
1.5 tsp allspice
.5 tsp cinnamon

Cook onion in heated olive oil. Add Grillers Crumbles, stirring regularly. When crumbles are defrosted, add in spices with freshly ground pepper and salt to taste. Cook a minute or two for spices to flavor the crumbles.

In a sprayed 13x9 pan, combine:

15 oz can tomato sauce**
15 oz can or jar of diced tomatoes**, partially drained
3 Tbsp lemon juice

Add in crumbles mixture and cooked pasta. Stir and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Covering with foil or a casserole lid with prevent it from drying out.

Notes:

1. Next time, I'm going to try adding some sliced black olives. I'll let you know how it tastes!
2. In a hurry? Add the sauce, tomatoes, and lemon juice to the crumbles mixture. Cook until heated, mix with the cooked pasta, and serve immediately.
   

* Or other short pasta shapes. I like Healthy Harvest brand, or other pasta with whole grain.
** Be sure to buy "unflavored" sauce and tomatoes - no spices already added.

posted by Annie at 5:56 PM