Frugal Foodie Friday - Baked Mostaccioli

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a reprise of a recipe that first appeared in 2011. That was before Frugal Foodie Friday was a feature on this blog, but, on reflection, I think this baked pasta  belongs  in the roster of inexpensive recipes that are being collected here. The pasta is delicious, but what I find most interesting about this version of mostaccioli is its history. This, supposedly, is the recipe that was used to make the mostaccioli served to Mafia dons at, what the IRS came to call, "The Last Supper". The meal was held at the Sicily Restaurant in Chicago to announce the retirement of two mob bosses, only one one of whom was retiring voluntarily. Within five years most of the dons, seen in the picture to the left, would be dead, falling victim to old age rather than internecine warfare, and this occasion was, in fact, their last hurrah. I'm posting the recipe as it was written, but a jarred tomato sauce can certainly replace the one called for in the recipe. This mostaccioli comes together quickly and it is inexpensive to make. The recipe is easy enough for young cooks to make with minimal supervision and the dish is one the entire family will enjoy. . Here's how this very frugal pasta is made.

Baked Mostaccioli...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of the Sicily Restaurant

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 pound mild Italian sausage
3 (8-oz.) cans unseasoned tomato sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound mostaccioli
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan.
2) Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet. Remove casing from Italian sausage. Add to skillet and brown.
3) Add tomato sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and black pepper to skillet. Stir to mix well. Bring contents of skillet to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
4) Meanwhile, cook mostaccioli according to package directions. Drain.
5) Place half of cooked pasta in baking pan, making sure bottom of pan is completely covered. Cover with half of tomato sauce and half of cheese. Create another layer using remaining mostaccioli, tomato sauce and cheese.
6) Bake, covered, for 25 to 30 minutes, or until top layer of cheese is completely melted. If desired, brown under broiler. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

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