Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
A cool, autumn evening is the perfect time to serve a cheesy pasta bake for supper. This hearty filling calls for a pound of smoked pork from your favorite barbecue restaurant, but you could use an equal amount of smoked chicken instead. Freezer-friendly casseroles are a great idea for meal planning, but just because you’re putting a casserole in the freezer doesn’t mean that your favorite baking dish has to stay in there too. Line the dish with heavy-duty aluminum foil, allowing several inches of foil to extend over sides. Prepare recipe as directed and freeze until firm. Holding the edges of foil, lift the casserole up from the dish, then fold the foil over the top. Wrap tightly in two layers of plastic wrap and re-pop back in the freezer. Before baking, remove plastic wrap, unwrap the top of the frozen casserole and place it back into the baking dish.
How to Make It
Step 1
Cook pasta in heavily salted boiling water until al dente, about 9 minutes. Drain, and transfer to a baking sheet. Cool 15 minutes.
Step 2
Meanwhile, stir together next 7 ingredients, 1 cup of the mozzarella, and 1/4 cup of the parsley in a large bowl. Stir together marinara and barbecue sauce in a bowl. Spread 1 3/4 cups of the marinara mixture in bottom of a 9- x 13-inch baking dish.
Step 3
Fill each cooled shell with 2 heaping tablespoons pork mixture, and arrange in prepared baking dish. Pour remaining 2 cups marinara mixture over shells.
To cook now: Preheat oven to 375°F. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake until heated through, 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover; bake until bubbly, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons parsley.
To freeze for later: Wrap tightly in 2 layers of plastic wrap. Freeze up to 3 months.
To thaw and cook: Thaw in refrigerator 24 hours. Preheat oven to 375°F; place unwrapped dish on counter while oven preheats. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake until heated through, 40 to 45 minutes. Uncover, and bake until bubbly, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons parsley.
