I had this dish at an Italian restaurant once while on the road and I knew I wanted to recreate it. The one I had was deep fried though. You’ve heard of fried macaroni and cheese bites, right? Well, those are delicious but not exactly waistline friendly. This version at least lightens things up a bit with the same decadent taste. There’s nothing like digging your fork into that creamy goodness!
The great thing about this recipe is it also freezes well. I just freeze the breaded pasta square until hardened (usually overnight) then the next morning, run them through the Food Saver and bam, an Italian meal ready to roll with the hard part already done for me! If you want to see step by step instructions, the video shows you how to bring it all together and what the recipe should look like in different stages.
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Ingredients
- 8 oz wide egg noodles
- 1 jar light Alfredo sauce
- 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 4 slices of mozzarella, fontina or Havarti cheese
- 1/4 cup scallions, chopped
Instructions
- Boil your egg noodles for 7-8 minutes until al dente.
- Drain and add back into the pan and add 1 jar of light Alfredo sauce. (I usually use Classico)
- Stir to completely coat the pasta then add about half of your chopped scallions and stir to incorporate.
- Spoon the noodles into an 8x8 pan making sure to spread into the corners and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the freezer for 60-90 minutes or until pasta is completely set but not frozen.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a large bowl, add your panko breadcrumbs.
- Cut the pasta into 4 squares. Put an ice pack under the pan to keep it cold as you work or place it one square at a time into the crumbs and put the pasta back in the freezer as you work.
- Place one square in the panko, pressing lightly the coat the bottom. Press the crumbs into the sides and sprinkle on top as well then place onto a lined cookie sheet.
- Repeat with the other squares.
- Bake in the oven for 15 minutes then switch to low broil and pull out of the oven.
- Pour 1/2 cup of marinara sauce on each square then place a slice cheese on top, and place under broiler until the cheese is melted.
- Serve and enjoy!
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18 Comments
This looks delicious! I’m a sucker for a good Italian meal.
Me too! This is one of our faves for sure!
Thanks for linking up with #ALittleBitOfEverything.
Great recipe looks delish!!
Iveth.
Thanks so much!
This sounds so yummy, and I love that the recipe is very simple too. I will have to try this!
It is so great and it can be frozen if you want to split the batch!
looks easy, yummy and who doesn’t love a Italian dinner
I haven’t met a person yet who doesn’t love it!
Your Baked Italian Pasta looks amazing, and we will just love it! Thanks so much for sharing your post with us at Full Plate Thursday. Have a great week and come back soon!
Miz Helen
I hope so! It is one of our faves for sure!
Oh, this looks really good! Always on the lookout for something new to make the fam.
I think your family would love this! Double the recipe for a 9×13 pan.
Your baked pasta looks delicious! I’d love for you to share over at a new party called Let’s Party https://themarkandjanshow.com/2018/01/02/lets-party-5/… look forward to seeing you there!
Thanks so much!
I’m also a sucker for a good Italian meal. I could have it at least three times a week but I know the Mr would tire of it. Your recipes are always fantastic and thanks for joining us each week at Celebrate Your Story.
Girl, me too! Love me some Italian food! Tell the Mr to fix his own dinner when he tires of it. HA! 😉 Aww, thank so much!
I wanted to let you know how much I like the way your videos are presented. No watching while someone cracks a dozen eggs. If you can’t crack an egg without instruction, the kitchen may not be a room you should be in. You get straight to the point and I love your audio without a lot of unnecessary video.
Thank you so much! I try to balance between what newcomers to the kitchen need to see and what won’t turn off seasoned pros. Funnily enough, I have an egg instruction video coming up to help those who need some direction in that department. I think the kitchen is a room everyone should feel comfortable in! 😀