This Tasty Kitchen recipe, submitted in May by Rozanie, fit perfectly into the 16-Minute Meal theme I have going on in my house this week. As I explained on The Pioneer Woman Cooks yesterday, my girls are gone all week, which means I have a houseful of only boys. They’re so delightfully male—the more brown and plentiful the food is, the better. And wonderfully so, they tend to like the dishes that take the least amount of time to make.
Sold!
This could not have been easier. When the boys and I returned from our Family Soccer Game, I threw it together and had dinner on the table in less than twenty minutes. It was heaven, and I was able to be in front of the TV in time to watch Real Housewives of New Jersey.
Wait. Did I just say that out loud?
Begin by boiling 5 cups of bowtie pasta noodles. (This amounts roughly to a 12-ounce bag.)
Cook it till al dente!
Brown some ground chuck in a skillet. (Regular ground beef would be just fine.)
Drain the pasta and dump it over the top of the browned meat.
Drizzle olive oil over the top of the noodles…
Then grab a jar of marinara or other pasta sauce. *Note that the submitter of this recipe correctly points out that you definitely want to use a sauce you really like here!
Dump it right over the noodles.
Add garlic powder…
And Italian Seasoning. You can substitute fresh garlic and herbs if you have them handy. Basil would be yummy! And be sure to add salt—about a teaspoon or so.
Next, add grated mozzarella. I had some fresh stuff in my fridge, but you can use any form of mozzarella you’d like.
Also dump in a little sour cream. This adds a really nice consistency to the whole dish. Even if you’re not a sour cream fan, don’t be afraid! You won’t even taste it.
Finally, stir it all together over low heat until it’s just combined. Yum!
I also stirred in some grated Parmesan for a little extra kick. And that’s it, baby!
I served this with an Iceberg/ranch salad and a hunk of warm, crust bread. The three men in my house absolutely loved it.
OPTIONS: This is such an easy meal, it would be a cinch to add in whatever extras you’d like. I think I’ll do chopped black olives next time, and probably a combination of fresh herbs. You can also play with the cheeses—add some Romano, Asiago…have at it!
Verdict: I’ll definitely make this again. Another 16-minute meal for my repertoire. Thanks, Rozanie!
Here’s the printable recipe: Bowtie Lasagna by Rozanie
87 Comments
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dacook on 7.13.2010
Wish my husband liked pasta! Or rice or any of the foods I like. This really looks good.
Jenny M. on 7.13.2010
I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicous!! I made a few subsitutions based on what I had in my fridge… Used Extra Lean Ground turkey instead, made only 3 cups of the bow tie pasta, and used a little bit of heavy cream instead of sour cream (didnt have any), and I added 1 cup of cooked spinach for some veggies, and it was DELICOUS! I will be having the left overs for lunch tomorrow. Great Recipe!
vicki on 7.13.2010
Would be good with big chunks of zucchini too.
Stacey Gray on 7.13.2010
Made this for dinner tonight. It made a great meal for the end of a very busy day for a very tired mom. I had to make some substitutions because I didn’t have all of the ingredients, but it still tasted great! Plus it made so much that we’ll have leftovers for tomorrow-that makes it excellent in my book.
Dawn on 7.13.2010
I might make this with rice instead of pasta (I’m allergic to wheat). My husband will love this!
Patty on 7.13.2010
This was amazing! Love it. It does make a lot, but I don’t mind because it means I don’t have to cook tomorrow in the heat of the day. : )
Erin on 7.13.2010
Sitting down with my first plate of this delish meal right now. So good and I’ll be making it again! For just hubby and me, it makes a LOT! – perfect for lunch leftovers!
Amelie on 7.13.2010
Yum! Making this tonight (but with Italian sausage instead of ground beef since it’s all I have). Thanks for the recipe!
Paula on 7.13.2010
wow! I`m sure that I`ll make this
Cary on 7.13.2010
Thank you Ree – do you realize just how many households in America and beyond will be making this tonight, mine included? For busy moms all over, I say thank you again! =)
Jeanette on 7.13.2010
I love the fact that with all your recipes of your own, you still stay connected and get a little help from your “friends”. You still keep it real and say, “I need something that cooks quickly and is satisfying”.
heidi wightman on 7.13.2010
My kids will love this. I am making it tonight!
mallory m on 7.13.2010
thanks elise… i should have assumed that! although i think my waistline may benefit more without the extra grease! ha
texasphotochick on 7.13.2010
I make something similar to this. I use my leftover meat sauce that I make in bulk and freeze, which makes it even faster on busy weeknights when the kids have dance and scouts.
You used our favorite sauce to have over tortellini.
Elise on 7.13.2010
Mallory – I don’t think that she ever drains the fat off anything.
Dinner tonight! Thanks!
Carrie on 7.13.2010
Ree,
Do you have any suggestions for making this a freezer meal?
Thanks!
Carrie
mallory m on 7.13.2010
maybe i missed it, but assuming you drain the excess fat from the meat before adding the pasta, correct? especially since you add in the extra olive oil…
either way, looks easy and delish!
Sandra on 7.13.2010
It looks quite easy and tasty – but why call it lasagna? It’s not layered, a a major factor in what makes lasagna what it is. It’s worth making with a better, more descriptive name.
Vicki B on 7.13.2010
Oh, heck ya! I’m gonna veggie-ize this. What a great recipe.
Seleise on 7.13.2010
This looks great and is a variation on a skillet lasagna that I make. I, too, use cottage cheese and it’s wonderful! I’ll have to try the sour cream variation for comparison.
TFS!
on 7.13.2010
Supper is figured out for tonight! Thanks!
NanaBread on 7.13.2010
Okay, loved this when I saw it, so I’m making it right now for dinner. I added sauteed fresh mushrooms, oregano & basil and about a teaspoon of fresh minced garlic. It already smells delicious. Thanks, Ree! Dinner tonight is in your honor, as well as Rozanie’s.
Kayla Birch on 7.13.2010
I have four brothers and a dad.
And I have been put in charge of dinner for the next two weeks. So I can definitely relate to the house full of boys! Me and my mom are the only girls! It’s 2 to 5.
Thanks for the recipe, I’m using it sometime in the next two weeks, fo sho!
Julie on 7.13.2010
I wonder how this would taste with cottage cheese – I add that to my lasagna so I bet it would be good in this!
Amanda T on 7.13.2010
I make this a lot – but I instead of sour cream, I add a 16 oz tub of small curd cottage cheese. Yum!
Myrnie on 7.13.2010
This is also really good as a one-skillet meal: brown the ground beef and drain, then dump everything, including DRY noodles, except the cheese, with a bit of extra water. Let it simmer till the noodles are done- they turn out so creamy!
Heather (Heather's Dish) on 7.13.2010
as an Italian through marriage, i adore ALL pasta ALL the time…this one sounds like a winner to me!
Sherry Watkins on 7.13.2010
Ree, this is a great recipe my husband loves stuff like this !
annie56 on 7.13.2010
true confession:
i have not yet put in my contacts and i am too lazy to go find my reading glasses….
so when i was perusing the sight this morning…
i honestly thought this was entitled “BROWNIE LASAGNE”
what a relief to realize it was BOWTIE lasagne instead.
it looks deliciously like a pasta / burger thing my mother used to make.
Tonya on 7.13.2010
Another yummy substitute…instead of sour cream…use cream cheese. I love adding cream cheese to the store bought jars of sauce. Makes for a creamier version.
Linda on 7.13.2010
Sounds amazing! Thanks!
karina on 7.13.2010
looks delicious. I will be trying this tonight. I love quick GOOD meals! Thanks!
Steffi on 7.13.2010
Mmmmmmmm!!!! That looks lovely!!!! I’ll have to try a white version since my dear sweet picky picky hubby won’t eat red sauce (what is wrong with him!?!?!) I think I’ll add chicken and spinach and top it with cheese and stick it in the oven and makes it a 25 minute meal
mom2girlz on 7.13.2010
I can see adding some italian sausage along with the ground beef. YUMMO!
Sandi on 7.13.2010
We do something similar, but instead of sour cream, we stir in a small container of cottage cheese. It sounds gross, but it’s delicious.
Cynthia on 7.13.2010
We used to make this back in the 60’s with elbow macaroni.
Good times!
Jessica @ How Sweet on 7.13.2010
This would be PERFECT for my husband because he hates ricotta! Even though, you know, he eats it all the time. He still swears he hates it.