cooking corner: pasta bake

i'm no chef, but i think i'm *slowly* getting better at cooking. :)

i had things all planned out for this week's dinner (i switched nights for this week so i was in charge of making dinner yesterday), but unfortunately i forgot the food i was going to make at home! that was quite problematic since i didn't have a clue what to make anymore, but instead of panicking i just went with it. after class i stopped by a grocery store to pick up a few things (i.e. ground beef, mozzarella cheese, rotini, and a cucumber) and then i was ready.

i boiled the pasta in one pot and cooked the beef with onions, and garlic in a separate pot (our pans are super horrible here so i try to stay away from those as much as possible). i combined everything together when the meat was cooked (i already drained the pasta) and added pasta sauce and cucumbers to the mix. then i tossed everything into a casserole dish, sprinkled a healthy dose (read: thick layer) of grated cheese on top, and threw everything into the oven at 350 degrees for 10 mins. the result? one yummy pasta bake. :d

i think the best part for me was that i didn't follow a recipe...and it didn't turn out to be a total disaster, haha. chef michael smith (a.k.a. "chef at home") would have been proud.

unfortunately i didn't take any pictures but believe you me, it was quite good. :)

p.s. when cooking the onions, garlic, and beef i added in salt, oregano, basil, and a few shakes of worcestershire sauce - no measuring, i just kind of (literally) threw them in - but i think those things were good for my pasta.