Whether you believe that Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup was the foundation of modern civilization, you have to admit that it’s pretty handy to have around. How else do you explain almost 80,000 recipes using it on Google? Today I have an un-recipe for a yummy pasta sauce taking advantage of that mushroomy miracle in a can.

It’s an un-recipe because I’m a little light on the measurements. The truth is, I wanted pasta with a meat sauce for dinner and I didn’t have any tomato sauce in the cupboard. So I just made this up on the spot with what I had lying about. My suggestion to you is just that… take this un-recipe and any measurements as only a suggestion of what you might want to do. Everybody’s tastes are different and who knows what you have in your pantry. Besides, it’s not like I wrote anything down. I was hungry!

This should make enough to take care of 16 oz. of dry pasta, cooked. Medium size shells are my favorite, but I think it’d be good with rigatoni or any hearty pasta that will hold the sauce.

Cheesy Beefy Pasta Sauce
Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 2 tsp. black pepper
• 2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. ground red pepper
• 8 oz. beef stock (I used beef bouillon cubes)
• 1 (8 oz.) can Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1-2 cup shredded cheese (I used a Mexican cheese blend, but cheddar is always good)

Preparation

1. Brown ground beef in a large skillet on high heat
2. While beef is cooking, add seasonings and stir
3. Depending on how fatty the ground beef you used was, you may wish to drain it at this point
4. Add beef stock and Condensed Cream of Mushroom soup
5. Stir until soup is completely dissolved into the beef stock
6. Continue to heat on high 4-5 minutes, stirring occassionally
7. Add shredded cheese and stir until melted completely
8. Continue to heat a minute or two more
9. Glop over pasta and enjoy the bountiful goodness that is Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup.

If I had had them, I would also have added a can or two of mushrooms (drained) and maybe a cup of peas or maybe a little broccoli. Your mileage may vary so, of course, let us know in comments how this worked out for you, what you did differently, or suggest some of your very own favorite un-recipes.

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Pastitsio
Pasta Mixture Ingredients

• 8 oz. bucatini or ziti pasta
• 3 tbsp. butter, melted
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 egg, beaten

Pasta Mixture Preparation

1. Cook pasta; drain, and return to pan
2. Stir in the melted butter, Parmesan cheese, milk and egg; set aside

Meat Mixture Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beeef
• 1/2 cup onions, chopped
• 1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. dried mint flakes
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. pepper

Meat Mixture Preparation

1. In a skilled, cook ground beef and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain excess fat
2. Stir in the tomato sauce, salt, mint flakes, cinnamon, nutmeg and pepper; set aside

Cream Sauce Ingredients

• 4 tsp. butter
• 4 tsp. all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 cups milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Cream Sauce Preparation

1. In a saucepan, melt the butter then mix in the flour and salt
2. Slowly stir in the milk, stirring constantly so that no lumps form
3. Cook on medium high, stirring frequently, until sauce starts to thicken; stir for a minute more then remove from heat
4. Pour beaten egg into the cream sauce, stirring briskly
5. Blend in the Parmesan cheese

Pastitsio Preparation

1. Layer half the pasta mixture in a 2 quart baking dish
2. Spoon the meat mixture on top, then make another layer with the remaining pasta
3. Pour the cream sauce over all, covering completely
4. Bake uncovered for about 40 minutes until hot and lightly browned
5. Let stand 10 minutes or until you can’t stand it anymore!

Related posts:

1. Spaghetti with Spinach Sauce
2. Cheesy Beefy Pasta Sauce Un-Recipe
3. Pasta with Hummus and Veggies