Baked Penne Pasta

This weekend, while we were kid free, Mike and I decided to try a new baked pasta recipe.  I had a recipe, but then I didn't follow it at all, so I'll just post my own recipe.  I forget where the inspiration came from.  I think it was vegweb.  It was really simple to make and tasted delicious! 


Ingredients:
1 can tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 recipe cheeze sauce
1 box penne pasta
1 tsp Italian seasoning (more or less to taste)
1/2 medium onion
5 cloves garlic (I love garlic so you can adjust this if you're not a garlic lover)
Bread crumbs (optional)
Nutritional yeast (optional)
Salt (to taste)

Before baking

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Saute the onions until translucent.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant.  Add in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and Italian seasoning and let simmer.  While it's simmering prepare cheeze sauce and pasta according to package instructions.  Make sure you don't over cook the pasta.  Dump cheeze sauce into the skillet with the tomato mixture. 

Just out of the oven

In a casserole dish (or a 9"x13" cake pan) place a layer of the cheeze/tomato mixture so the pasta doesn't stick.  Next add a layer of pasta, then a layer of sauce on top of the pasta.  Repeat. In a small bowl or baggie, mix bread crumbs (1/2-3/4 cup), nutritional yeast (1/4-1/3 cup), and salt.  Add on the top of the top layer (which should be sauce).  Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes until top is golden brown and it is heated through. 

Plated for dinner (sideways sorry)