Mostaccioli & "Lazy" Marinara
It’s been…a week. One of those weeks where I’m amped and exhausted all at the same time and my brain feels like it’s been doing mental gymnastics for far too long. So when it came to dinner tonight, I didn’t want to think. I needed something I could do half-awake but would also be tasty and feel worthy of a Friday night dinner.
Mostaccioli with my mom’s “lazy” marinara is crazy easy and the ingredients are usually something I have on hand which makes it even more convenient. My mom would make this marinara pretty often, probably for the same exact reason. Working full time with two kids I’m surprised it’s not the only thing we ate. We would just call it “mostaccioli”, even though that’s just the name of the pasta shape. Some might say “it looks like penne”, and it does! But the big difference here is mostaccioli is smooth, and penne has ridges. You know, like a lays chip vs a ruffle. They’re both good- but sometimes you feel like some lays classic.
Now, the easiest option would be pasta with some jarred sauce, but I guarantee- you’ll like this one so much better and it’s gonna have that tired mama love that will make it even more delicious than something out of a jar. Maybe even more delicious than lays chips.
Mostaccioli & “Lazy” Marinara
Ingredients -
16 oz pasta (my preference is obviously, mostaccioli)
2-3 tbsp olive oil
24-28 oz chopped tomatoes (my preference here is Pomi brand, I’ve convinced myself they taste better than anything in a can, simply because they’re in a box)
1/2 red onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, crushed/diced (however chunky you want it)
1 tsp Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese
Fresh basil
Recipe -
Fill a tall pot with water, a liberal dose of salt and some of the olive oil, put heat on high
While waiting for the water to boil, dice up 1/2 a red onion and 4 garlic cloves
Add about 2 tbsp olive oil to a large pan and turn heat to med-low. Sauté the onion and garlic until the onion turns translucent
Then add your chopped tomatoes, the Italian seasoning and some more salt and pepper to taste
Give it a good stir and turn heat to low, let the sauce simmer while the pasta boils (seriously that’s it, that’s all there is to the sauce)
Cook the pasta per the package directions (al dente is usually about 10 minutes) and drain the pasta - BUT HANG ON TO SOME OF THAT PASTA WATER
Throw your cooked pasta into the pan of sauce and give it a good toss. Throw some of the pasta water in there (about 1/2 a cup) and keep tossing until all the pasta is covered with sauce. NOTE - pasta will not be absolutely smothered in sauce, this is not the Italian way. Your pasta will have a nice coating of marinara, but shouldn’t be drowning in it.
Serve it up! Garnish with some fresh parmesan cheese and basil if you have it on hand. Sometimes I like to get really fancy and I’ll throw some heavy cream in there and it becomes “Lazy Vodka Sauce”
Keep your knives and your wits sharp, my friends