Baked Penne with Broccoli — Wonderful for a Quick Set of Meals

So I decided to finally make use some leftover shredded cheese and marinara sauce in my fridge to make a few meals for this week in one sitting.   The result:  A flavorful baked penne dish with lots of broccoli and garlic.

Here is the recipe I threw together:

• One 8 x 8 inch square casserole pan
• 4 servings of multi-grain penne (you can use any pasta like ziti, penne, rigati, etc. for this type of dish)
• 1 cup shredded reduced-fat Italian blend cheese
• 1 14 oz. jar of standard pasta sauce (I think I used Prego’s "original")
• 1 medium head of fresh broccoli, chopped
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• Generous splash of olive oil (maybe 2 tablespoons)
• Crushed red pepper flakes to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Boil pasta until al dente
3. Steam the broccoli until it is partially cooked
4. Combine the drained, cooked pasta with the pasta sauce, steamed broccoli, garlic, olive oil, and red pepper flakes.
5. Spread mixture into casserole dish, and sprinkle cheese on top.
6. Cover with foil, and bake in oven for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

These proportions created about 4 meals, so this recipe is a great way to not only make a quick meal, but also create additional lunches or dinners for the rest of the week.