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Baked Spaghetti

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I don't think you can ever fail with cheese and pasta.  It's one of those combinations that no matter how you cook it, it will always be delicious.  There is a local restaurant nearby that is famous for its baked spaghetti.  As with any good recipe, the ingredients are a secret.  After many years as a patron, my mom decided to  recreate the recipe with successful results.  It is a fantastic blend of creamy cheese, baked pasta and delicious marinara.  The only complication is that the process is somewhat challenging.  She cooks it in a water-bath at a low temperature for four hours.  I am no expert at Italian cooking, but it seems a little complicated for an Italian recipe.  I decided to make an attempt at changing my mom's recipe slightly (with some grief from my sister nonetheless), and created a pasta dish that was equally delicious with far less cooking time.  However, I wasn't thrilled with the consistency, so I don't want to post the recipe just yet, but I will show some snaps I took along the way.  Cheese and pasta will always be comfort food for me, so even though I don't see this dish as a success, it definitely wasn't a fail.

Rue for the Béchamel Sauce

Al Dente Pasta

Cheese Mixture 

Just in Need of Some Marinara

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