Stanley Tucci's Pasta Casserole

This recipe has come up in my food feeds for a while now and it looked yummy, but I found the recipe on Allrecipes.com when I finally went looking for it.  And there Stanley told them that he'll even eat it for breakfast because it's so good.  It all started out when he was trying to find a use for some leftover farfalle pasta. 

When I tell you how Ah-mazing this was, I am not exaggerating. I was a big Stanley Tucci fan before, but now I might be his biggest fan.  Needless to say, this was a huge hit in the Delaney Test Kitchen.

​And yes, I also had it for breakfast the next day. Enjoy!



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Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter, or as needed
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 ounces pancetta, diced
• 6 ounces frozen peas
• 8 ounces cooked farfalle pasta
• 2 cups béchamel sauce (or other jarred creamy sauce)
• 2 tablespoons butter (optional)
• Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Heat olive oil or butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, then add garlic and cook until fragrant. Stir in pancetta and frozen peas. Cook until warmed through and pancetta has crisped up a bit.
3. Combine cooked pasta, béchamel, and pancetta mixture in a casserole dish. Dot with butter and top with grated Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake, uncovered, until the sauce is bubbly and the top is lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

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