By The real estate market is strong this week. I showed 7 properties and closed on 1. The pipeline is strong. The phone rings with the steady rhythm of a business that has taken six years to build and refuses to slow down.
Dimitri stopped by the bakery Saturday morning to eat spanakopita and tell Mama she is doing things wrong. She told him he had his chance. They argued. They ate. They loved. In that order, which is the only order this family knows.
I thought about Baba this week. Not the grief — the grief is always there, a familiar companion now — but the man. The way he stood at the bakery counter with his arms crossed. The way he hummed Greek songs he never knew the words to. The way he loved us in silence, which was the loudest love I have ever known.
I made pastitsio from Mama's recipe — the Kalymnos version with extra cinnamon and a bechamel so thick you could mortar bricks with it. I served it with bread and olive oil — always too much olive oil, because in this family there is no such thing as too much. We ate and the conversation was easy and the evening was warm.
Sophia told me this week that she is proud of me. I was not expecting it. We were in the car, driving to Tarpon Springs for Sunday dinner, and she said Mom, I am proud of you. I said for what. She said for everything. For the bakery. For the houses. For making dinner every night even when you are tired. I gripped the steering wheel and blinked and said thank you, koritsi mou. She said do not cry. I did not cry. Much.
I will not pretend these are Mama’s pastitsio—nothing will ever be Mama’s pastitsio, and she would tell you that herself before you even finished the question. But on a Tuesday when the phone has finally gone quiet and Sophia is at the table doing homework and I still want that feeling of warm pasta and melted cheese holding everything together, these cheesy baked penne cups are the answer I reach for. They have the same layered, bubbling, pull-you-back-to-the-table energy, just scaled down to a size I can actually manage after closing a deal and making dinner and not crying in the car. Much.
Cheesy One Bite Baked Penne Cups
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 24 cups
Ingredients
- 2 cups penne pasta, cooked al dente and drained
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- 1/2 lb ground beef or ground lamb
- 1/2 cup marinara sauce
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Olive oil, for greasing the pan
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven. Heat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a standard 24-cup mini muffin tin with olive oil and set aside.
- Brown the meat. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef or lamb until no longer pink, about 5–6 minutes. Drain excess fat. Stir in the marinara sauce, cinnamon, oregano, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Mix the cheese filling. In a large bowl, combine the cooked penne, ricotta, 3/4 cup of the mozzarella, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, the beaten egg, and garlic powder. Stir until well combined.
- Fold in the meat. Add the seasoned meat mixture to the pasta and cheese bowl. Stir gently to distribute evenly throughout.
- Fill the cups. Spoon the mixture into the prepared mini muffin cups, pressing lightly and mounding each cup just above the rim. Top each cup with a pinch of the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
- Bake. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the tops are golden and the cheese is bubbly. Let the cups rest in the pan for 5 minutes before removing with a small offset spatula or butter knife.
- Serve. Arrange on a platter, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve warm alongside good bread and, as always, too much olive oil.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 95 | Protein: 6g | Fat: 4g | Carbs: 9g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 140mg