Cheesy Baked Pasta

This cheesy, crusty, super flavorful pasta is the ultimate mid-January satisfier. And, you could easily add some cooked cauliflower or broccoli if you want to balance it out.

Preheat the oven to 400, then boil and drain half a pound of short pasta, cooked al dente. Rinse with cold water to keep it from cooking further.

In a large straight sided pan or pot, sauté a chopped red onion until translucent. Turn the heat down to low and add a couple of cloves of minced garlic, half a tin of chopped anchovies, a couple tablespoons of capers, half a cup of milk, the optional chopped vegetables, and a large pinch of red chili flakes. Cook for two minutes then remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.

Thirty minutes before you want to serve, add a cup of shredded Mixed Italian or Mozzarella cheese, the cooked pasta, and a healthy grind of black pepper. Mix well and spoon into a baking dish. Top with a mixture of half a cup each of bread crumbs and grated pecorino or parmesan. Bake for 25 minutes.