Easy Basil Cheese Baked Pasta

Note: for the marinara, I use Trader Joe’s Tomato Basil Marinara, but when I lived near Sunflower Market (sniff, sniff), the Sunflower Market Garlic Basil was awesome, too! For the pesto, both the Trader Joe’s and Costco’s Kirkland Signature brand of refrigerated pesto get my vote!

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta, cook to al dente.

Gently warm marinara sauce in a pot on the stove.

Preheat your broiler and place a rack in the center of the oven.

Drain pasta, then add back to the warm pot. Gently stir in ricotta cheese and pesto sauce until pasta is coated. If you are feeling sassy, throw a handful of grated Parmesan in as well. Pour into a casserole dish or 13×9 baking pan. Pour the hot marinara sauce over the top of the pasta. Top with mozzarella cheese and add a final sprinkle of 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Place the casserole dish under the broiler, about 10-12 inches from the heat. Let the cheese melt and bubble on top, about 3-5 minutes.

Seriously, didn’t I say it was fast?! While the pasta is boiling, make it an entire meal by baking some garlic bread and assembling a salad!