This barely needs a recipe. Layer sauce, pasta, and cheese. Bake/broil. Eat. But when things are this simple, it's really important that a few items are perfect. Key steps:
1. Undercook the pasta. Really undercook it. I used penne from Trader Joes with a recommended 9 minute cook time. I boiled it for 7 minutes, but I wish I'd gone closer to 5 minutes. I've never baked a pasta that wasn't just a little mushier than I would have liked. That was a supremely confusing sentence. Kind of mushy. Like the pasta.
2. Mix the pasta in sauce before layering.
3. Don't use shredded cheese. (Actually, just never buy shredded cheese again. Shred it yourself.) I used fresh mozzarella and put it through an uneven chop. This technique came up over and over again in various recipes, and after this go, it's easy to see why. Instead of a brown, scabby layer of mozzarella on top, you'll have pockets of gooey cheese throughout.
4. Don't skimp on basil. Or salt.
Speaking of basil, would you look at this!
This crisp and vibrant sprig has been sitting on my counter for over a week. A week! And without a shrivel or brown spot in sight. I love basil, but every bunch I've bought has been doomed -- destined for the trash after a few days, mottled and gray. This little article was a major game changer.
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