Friday Friend Recipe #64-- Three Cheese Pasta Bake

Friday Friend Recipe #64: Three Cheese Pasta Bake

Making my way thru my Friday Friend Cookbook, one recipe at a time.

What is the Friday Friend cookbook: I have about 50 of my closest friends and family on an e-mail forum which I called the Friday Friends (from all over the county). At first, most of them didn't know each other, (they knew me) but over the past 15 years, we've answered and shared silly--and serious---questions, exchanged Secret Santa Christmas gifts, had a dieting contest in which we paid a $1 a week and that money went to a scholarship fund for a Friday Friends son's memorial scholarship, and we went on a great vacation for my 52 birthday.

AND, we contributed recipes for a cookbook.

I was looking at the cookbook the other night and I said, "I should make every recipe in here for my blog."
The Handyman--who knows me better than I know myself (this happened to be a question on the Friday Friend forum once---does your spouse/partner know you better than you know yourself?)--said,  "you'll never, EVER do that."

WELL---maybe I'll show him!  Maybe I will.

Which brings me to this... recipe #64

Ashley's

Three Cheese Pasta Bake

Here are the facts:
1.  I love 3 Cheese Pasta Bake

2.  My family loves 3 Cheese Pasta Bake

3. I love 3 Cheese Pasta Bake

It is cheesy and pasta-y and sauce-y, Italian Style.

I don't know what else to say.

Three Cheese Pasta Bake

FF Ashley Ferguson

Meridian, Idaho

1/2 lb twist pasta, cooked as directed

1/2 lb lean ground beef or Italian Sausage

1 26oz jar marinara sauce

1 15oz container of ricotta cheese

8oz mozzarella, shredded and divided ( 2 cups)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg

Preheat oven to 350.  In saucepan, over med heat, cook meat until browned; pour off fat.

Add sauce.

Combine in a bowl: ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, egg and Parmesan.

Lightly grease 2 1/2 qt dish.

Layer cooked pasta, sauce mixture and cheese mixture.

Repeat layers.

Sprinkle with the rest of the mozzarella.

Bake 35-40 minutes or until bubbly.

Here is the truth about the Friday Friends --- 

They are the same as other friends.

Once in a while, they drift away.

but Ashley didn't drift, she moved!

  I  don't see Ashley like I used to, a much as I'd like to.

Busy lives, busy people.

When she pops into town we try to have lunch and catch up, but she's busy doing restaurant stuff (they own 4 of them) and I'm busy doing--- reading? Cooking? Laying around?

Speaking of reading....

Ashley started one of the books clubs I am in--  Totally Lit.  (there are only 2 remaining charter members and I am one of them, out of a 10 people group.)

We used to do tons of stuff with Ashley before she moved, but it was before the age of cell phones and digital cameras.  I find   I don't have many pics of her.  I am going to have to dig thru one of my old photo boxes next time and see what old photos I can dig up.

This is Ashley's' 2nd appearance in the Friday Friend Cookbook Countdown.

The last time I was having lunch at the Griddle I  took a photo off the back of a menu insert.

(photo quality is not an issue for me on this blog---only countdowns are)

The picture is of Ashley and her husband, David. 

I think they might have been at a Giants game when this was taken.

The insert was in conjunction with a MS (Multiple Sclerosis) walk/fundraiser.

It's a good picture of them!  

As mentioned, Ashley started the Lit Wits Bookclub.  It would not be going today if it wasn't for her -- which means my life would be a little less happy.

So Hooray for Ashley---Hooray for Totally Lit!

She's always been a voracious reader and I've gotten lots of good books from her.

I would call the Griddle an "indy" restaurant.

I like Indy things:

bookstores

musicians

and restaurants!