Divine Pasta Casserole

Ingredients
For the pasta
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes (Muir Glen’s fire roasted work great.)
2 red onions, quartered
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoon sugar
3 garlic cloves, peeled and stems trimmed
2 pints grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 red bell pepper, quartered
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound short pasta
1 pound ground beef

For the sauce
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 ¹⁄₂ cup milk
5 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
Dash nutmeg

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 400*F. 

2. Pour tomatoes into rimmed baking sheet.  Top with onions and sprinkle with sugar.  Spread garlic and tomatoes over vegetables in baking sheet.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and basil.  Place bell pepper pieces on top, skin side up.  Drizzle olive oil over vegetables and roast for 45-60 minutes, or until tender and bell pepper skins are starting to char. 

3. Remove vegetables from oven and place bell pepper into ziptop bag.  Seal bag to allow bell peppers to steam.  Reduce oven heat to 350*F. 

4. Bring large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta 2 minutes less than directed by packaging.  Drain. 

5. Season ground beef with salt and pepper.  Sauté in Dutch oven until cooked through.  Remove from Dutch oven and drain. 

7. Remove bell peppers from bag and carefully remove skins.  Transfer all roasted vegetables to Dutch oven and puree with immersion blender. (If you don’t have an immersion blender this can be done in a food processor or blender.) 

8. Return ground beef to Dutch oven with vegetables and simmer 5 minutes.  Check for seasoning.  Stir in pasta and mix well. 

9. In the pot used for pasta, melt butter over medium heat.  Stir in flour and cook 1 minute.  Slowly add in milk, stirring constantly.  Once sauce thickens add Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and dash nutmeg.  Simmer sauce over low heat 2 to 3 minutes. 

10. Pour sauce over pasta mixture and bake until pasta and sauce are bubbly and starting to brown. 

Comments
This recipe is from the always awesome Kayotic Kitchen.  I know it looks like it has a lot of steps, but it really comes together easily once you get the vegetables roasting.  All three of us gobbled this up and enjoyed it quite a bit.  This casserole is definitely a great, comforting, delicious wintertime dish.  Yum.

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