Pasta Bake

[PopPopParty]

If you're making pasta bake from a jar (no judgement pls ) do you follow instructions or wing it?

DP likes it cooked to the letter, weighing, jar sauce, water, oven cook for 5 hours requisite amount of time.

Whereas I cook the pasta first (without weighing), then chuck in veg, stir in the sauce and put cheese on top and into the oven cook for 20 mins.

He thinks this is "all wrong" and tastes different . I think it's pasta bake. Tastes like pasta bake surely?! 🤷

Cook the pasta, throw it in with whatever is in the fridge, jar of sauce or crushed tomatoes, grated cheese and throw it all in the oven until the cheese is brown and it's hot all the way through.

It's supposed to be a bitsa meal, isn't it?

I always cook the pasta first. Stir the sauce and cooked veg through, then lots of cheese on top and in the oven until it's melted and bubbly.

@Sarahandduck18

I’ve never cooked or eaten a pasta bake in my life.

It wasn’t something ever made at home growing up.

Maybe just do your own sauce with a tin of tomatoes and wing it?

But the whole point is that you're not making a pasta sauce from scratch. No chopping onions, peppers, no cooking bacon or pepperoni or whatever is in the tuna one etc.

Oh - I usually make the sauce. Is that the point - you don’t have to make the sauce?

I can't believe I've got to 41 years old without even thinking to cook the pasta first. Makes total sense, no more half cooked pasta...

@ThatIsNotMyUsername

Oh - I usually make the sauce. Is that the point - you don’t have to make the sauce?

I assume op is asking about Pasta Bake that you buy which is a jar of sauce

I cook the pasta first.

For any other pasta dishes I make my own sauce. But a pasta bake is meant to be a quick easy dinner so jar it is!

So - what’s a decent sauce? I had dolmio once at my sisters and didn’t like the taste.

Why do you alll end up with half cooked pasta?? If you've put in enough water and cooked for long enough it shouldn't be undercooked

Home Pride here

Same - Home Pride creamy tomato or tuna.

I don't cook the pasta first. Just bung it all in a casserole dish.

But I always add more water than it says to, otherwise I end up with burnt bits of pasta. More water = no dried out/burnt to a crisp pasta!

I didn’t know there was a recipe.
I cook pasta at same time as making a sauce.
All mixed with mozzarella cut and distributed/buried in pasta and Parmesan on top.
In oven until browned/bubbling etc.

We only really use the Coleman’s tuna pasta bake powder.

I use 300g pasta for all of us, less milk, more cheese, half the amount of sweetcorn.

If I’m doing a jar pasta bake then I do follow the instructions , if I’m bothering to throw in other stuff / veg etc then I wouldn’t bother with the sauce in the first place I’d just make my own .

All the people who make their sauce need to go sit over there.

Pasta Bake comes in a jar. You put in a jar of sauce and a jar of water and pasta and cook and add cheese and cook. Simple.

You can cook the pasta in the oven in the sauce??

Fuck me

I always cook the pasta first!! An old friend used to do it the other way and the pasta was always rock hard still

Depends. Tbh it's been better when I follow the instructions. But sometimes I do my own thing and add loads of extra flavours and love that too.

Whether you cook the pasta first or not (and I'm another one who didn't realise you didn't have to), everyone puts crushed up S&V crisps on top too don't they? Or is this a lie that DH has told me?

I actually didn’t know this was a thing, and I am queen of kitchen shortcuts!

I tend to cook veg and anything else (often chorizo, sometimes leftover chicken) in one pot, with tinned tomatoes, then do the pasta in another pan with a stock-cube. Drain pasta, mix it together, loads of cheese - preferably pre-grated cheddar because I am lazy, good shake of Parmesan - then stick it in the oven.

I also do a chicken, leek and broccoli one in a creamy sauce, but it is far more faff.

@BertieBotts

You can cook the pasta in the oven in the sauce??

Fuck me

Did you read the jar??

Making pasta bake tonight. Cooking pasta. Cooking sauce (frying meat and onions and adding jar sauce- what? It's cooking 😂) putting them together and putting a cheese/egg/soured cream mix on top before baking in the oven for 15 mins.

We have ours with chicken. So we cook the pasta on the hob, and some chunks of chicken (separate pans). Then when they're both done we mix them together, add the sauce, pour into a baking tray, cover with grated cheese and then put it in the oven for a bit.

We tried following the jar instructions once and it was disgusting. The pasta was burnt, no sauce flavour at all. We did it right but it was horrible.

Another one who didn't realise there was a recipe. I always do it your way OP