Cooking with Ragú Because Simple Homestyle Dinners are Best! #SimmeredinTradition #HomestyleSauces

Allison has been very curious about her heritage lately. Always asking about where we came from, trying to memorize which family member descended from which country. I think it's fascinating to her because we really are a mixed bag in our house. Irish, Italian, English, and Native American all flow through our veins, and she loves comparing that with her friends. When she first started asking about our heritage, I started reflecting on long lost family members, and I always go back to thinking about my paternal grandmother. It makes me sad because she passed before I was born, but when I hear stories about her, I think I must be very much like her.


My grandma loved cooking for her family, much like I do, so when my mom came across one of her old (and I mean OLD!) cookbooks, she passed it to me because she knew that I would love to have something of grandma's that would remind me of how similar we are.

Even though the book is super fragile from her years of use and from years of storage, I love flipping through the delicate pages, seeing notations in my grandma's handwriting, but best of all, finding her favorite recipes handwritten and tucked between some of the pages. Even though I never got to meet grandma, these treasures make me feel very connected to her.

One thing that I really love about the book and handwritten recipes is that they are all simple. You won't find any complicated, Julia Child type recipes here. Just good old fashioned, no-fuss recipes that my family loves.

Simplicity is key when preparing meals for my family, and I love that Ragú Pasta Sauce helps me make a homestyle meal that is easy, yet hearty and delicious.

Ragú Homestyle packs a lot of flavor in each jar and is their thickest pasta sauce yet. You can tell because it hugs each pasta noodle perfectly! Each ingredient is peeled, chopped, and simmered with a special blend of herbs to build a bold flavored sauce. You won't find any artificial flavors, artificial colors or high-fructose corn syrup in this sauce. Ragú takes no shortcuts when it comes to making these delicious homestyle sauces.

One of my favorite ways to use Ragú Pasta Sauce is in my Baked Penne Rigate. I like this recipe because it's really easy, very tasty, and the 4 of us can eat it two nights in a row, making it an inexpensive meal as well.

Ingredients

1 16 ounce package dry penne pasta
1 pound lean ground beef
2 jars Ragú Homestyle Thick & Hearty Meat Sauce
12 slices provolone cheese
12 slices mozzarella cheese
1 ½ cups sour cream
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 cup chopped dry basil

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions, until al dente; drain
Brown beef over medium heat; drain and add Ragú Homestyle Sauce and simmer 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease a 2 quart baking dish. Place 1/2 the pasta in dish; top with 6 provolone and 6 mozzarella slices. Spread half the meat sauce mixture over the noodles. Spread a thin layer of sour cream over meat sauce.
Repeat pasta, meat, cheese and sauce layers; finish by topping with the Parmesan and basil.
Bake 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly. Serve.

Ragú Homestyle Pasta Sauces are currently available in most major supermarkets. Be sure to check out the many Ragú Pasta Sauce Recipes on the Ragú website and start making your own homestyle dinners today!

WIN IT!

Want the chance to try Ragú Homestyle Pasta Sauce for yourself? I am giving one lucky winner $10 PayPal to try their favorite Ragú Homestyle Sauce. Enter through 5/31. Simply leave me a blog post comment telling me which Ragú Pasta Sauce Recipe from the recipe tab you would love to try. Be sure to leave me your email address so I can contact you if you are the winner! I am giving one additional entry if you follow me on Pinterest (link on my sidebar). Just tell me what name you are following with.

Good Luck!

WINNER IS TATERTOT374 
I assigned everyone who commented with their entry a number and used random.org. #35 was chosen.