it's simple: take a ceramic baking pan of your choice (i use 8x8, but larger is fine) and fill it about 3/4 with uncooked penne noodles. this is the "measuring" step. then you cook the noodles until they're nearly done, but not quite. while they're boiling, slice/ball the sausage of your choice. because i'm spoiled, i use Johnsonville Irish Garlic, but any type of sausage or meat will be fine. if you nuke or pre-fry the meat, it gets done faster, but again, your call.

then, you plop the noodles back in the pan, stir in the meat chunks, pour on enough sketti sauce to mostly coat it all, and cover it in whatever cheese you want. i like mozzerella and parmesan, but i've used provolone and cheddar as well. then you bake it for about 20 mins (longer if you didnt precook the meat) at 350ish until the cheese gets bubbly and delicious looking.

there, it's a simple (but freakin delicious) meal. you mostly use pre-prepared ingredients, but since i live in an area where ethnic=weird to most people, i gotta make do.
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Dance On, Gir!