A baked pasta dish bring something else to a dish you already thought you knew. Plus, I am not sure I can think of a better way to use some leftover cooked pasta, can you? In this recipe, the pasta is precooked. My thought is, why cook it twice?
The challenge is to get the pasta just right without being able to scoop one out from time to time to taste or throw it on your back splash. (You know who you are) If you add pasta dry to the sauce, it will take much longer to become tender. So what to do? Soak them! Soak your pasta in warm, salted water before adding it to the sauce and sliding into your oven. The pasta needs about 45 minutes of soaking.
The reward for your efforts will be deeply flavored, crisp on the top and melt in your mouth good underneath.