St. Louis Baked Mostaccioli

If you have ever attended any family event in St. Louis, I bet you’ve seen the big dish of Mostaccioli on the buffet. We have it at weddings and reunions. We take it to someone’s home when they are ill. Why? Because it’s such a lovely comfort food, is hearty and filling and makes for terrific leftovers.

Ingredients (serves 8 easily):

1 pound ground beef

1 pound Italian sausage (I like mild or sweet, but feel free to use hot if you prefer)

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon sugar (optional, but it helps cut the acidity of the tomatoes)

½ cup red wine, like chianti, or water

1 (one pound) box mostaccioli noodles, cooked according to package directions until they are just shy of al dente

1 ½  cups shredded mozzarella

½ cup grated parmesan

Directions: Brown the ground beef and Italian sausage in a large Dutch oven over medium heat, breaking up any large pieces. Drain off the fat and add in the onions and garlic. Cook about 5 minutes or until the garlic and onions are soft and fragrant, but not browned.

Add in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, oregano, basil, thyme, salt, pepper and wine or water. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and let cook for 30 minutes to 1 hour, stirring often and tasting-adjust the seasonings as you go.

Preheat oven to 350. Remove the Dutch oven from heat. Add the cooked pasta into the sauce  and gently combine. Pour the mixture out into a 2 ½ or 3 quart baking dish. Top with the mozzarella and then the parmesan. Bake for 25 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and golden. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.