Four-Cheese Baked Penne

Elijah. Elijah James Henderson. Born November 2, 2021, at 6:14 in the morning, in Atlanta, weighing seven pounds, eleven ounces. My third great-grandchild. Amara's baby brother. Named James for my brother James Jr., who died of prostate cancer in 2015, and Elijah because Marcus said it means "God is my strength" and that felt right for a baby born into a world that needs all the strength it can get.

Marcus called from the hospital. He was calmer this time — second baby, the panic has softened into focus. He said, "Granny, he's perfect." I said, "Of course he is. He's a Henderson." He said, "He has your nose." I said, "That's a strong nose, Marcus. That nose has been smelling food for sixty-six years." Marcus laughed and said, "Tasha wants to talk to you." Tasha got on the phone, exhausted and triumphant, and she said, "Miss Dot, the freezer meals saved us. Amara ate the mac and cheese for three days straight." I said, "That's because it's three-cheese mac and cheese, and nobody can resist three cheeses." The freezer army deployed. Mission accomplished.

I have not held Elijah yet. Earl Jr. will bring photos when he visits at Thanksgiving. But soon. Soon I will hold that boy and I will tell him about his great-great-uncle James Jr. who liked oxtails and laughed too loud and died too young, and whose name now belongs to a baby who will carry it into a future James never saw.

Made oxtails and rice tonight. For James Jr. Because that's what the dead ask for — not flowers, not prayers. They ask for their favorite meal, cooked in the kitchen where they were loved, by the hands that fed them.

Now go on and feed somebody.

Tasha mentioned the mac and cheese, and that’s the part that stayed with me — knowing those meals I packed into her freezer were the thing standing between her and a hungry toddler while she healed and nursed and learned a new baby’s face. This four-cheese baked penne is the dish I reach for when somebody needs feeding from a distance: it holds up, it reheats, and it tastes like somebody who loves you made it, because somebody who loves you did. Pack it into a foil pan, write the name on top in marker, and send it. That’s the whole recipe.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 1 hr 5 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 lb penne pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (24 oz) jar marinara sauce
1 (15 oz) container whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 large egg
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook penne according to package directions until just al dente — about 1 minute less than the package says. It will finish cooking in the oven. Drain and return to the pot.
Preheat and prepare. Heat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with olive oil or nonstick spray.
Build the sauce. In a small skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil and sauté the minced garlic for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir into the marinara sauce.
Mix the cheese filling. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella, the cheddar, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, the egg, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Stir until well blended.
Combine everything. Add the drained penne to the cheese mixture. Pour the marinara sauce over the top and fold together gently until every piece of pasta is coated and the cheese is evenly distributed.
Assemble and top. Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish and spread it into an even layer. Scatter the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan evenly over the top.
Bake covered. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Bake uncovered. Remove the foil and bake an additional 15 minutes until the cheese on top is melted, golden, and bubbling at the edges.
Rest and serve. Let the dish rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Scatter chopped fresh parsley over the top. Serve hot, with crusty bread alongside if you have it.

Nutrition (per serving)

Four-Cheese Baked Penne — The Meal That Feeds the Living When You Can’t Be There