Recipe Weekend: Secret Ingredient Pasta Bake!

   Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this product, free of charge, from Fresh Vintage Farms,  for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it. All opinions are my own

We've been looking at making healthier eating choices lately and when I was offered the chance to try a new type of mayonnaise, I was intrigued and said yes!

Fresh Vintage Farms Almond Oil Mayonnaise is made with real, simple ingredients—no canola, no soy, and no artificial preservatives. Crafted in small batches, using a gentle process with no harsh chemicals, they preserve the goodness, including Vitamin E and healthy fats, from the almonds. It is Non-GMO, dairy-free, gluten-free, and made without seed oils. It’s a wholesome choice for those seeking clean, sugar-free, paleo and seed-oil-free mayo.

Whether you're making sandwiches, mixing salads, or creating dips, this mayo adds something special. Even though it's made with sweet almond oil, it has a tangy, creamy taste and gives the same clean, smooth texture and mouth feel of traditional mayo. You really can't taste much difference! And that means its ideal for switching out with your normal mayonnaise-the kids won't even notice!

We were also asked to come up with a unique way of using this new mayo, and as we came back from vacation to winter temps, I decided using it in a bake was the way to go!

Secret Ingredient Pasta Bake

While I made this in a 9x9 pan, you could add more noodles and sauce and make it in a 9x13 pan! OR you could put all the ingredients together in a crockpot, and let it do its thing for 2 hours and come home to a ready made meal! 

Ingredients

1 can/jar favorite pasta sauce (canned, jar or homemade)
1 can of Basil Tomato soup
Fresh Vintage Farms Almond Oil Mayo
Frozen Package of meatballs
1-2 boxes of your favorite pasta bake noodles (penne, rigatoni, etc)
Garlic

Parmessan Cheese

Mozarella/Italian Cheese

Italian Seasoning

Directions:

1. Bake meatballs according to package directions. We used a little over half of a regular bag, and then cut them in half. But do as many as you want!

2. Meanwhile, in pot over stove, combine pasta sauce, soup, a tsp to tbsp of Parmessan and a serving spoon size of the Fresh Vintage Farms Almond Oil Mayo. Then add Italian seasoning and garlic to taste (we used about a tbsp of each- but we like garlic lol). Heat over medium-low heat til hot.

3. In a different pot, boil your noodles. I used about 1 regular box of the noodles, if I had been doing a 9x13, I would have used all of the oversized box. Drain. 

4. Now for layering! Add some of the sauce in bottom of pan, then add your noodles, then your meatballs. Sprinkle with Parmesan and cover with your choice of cheese. Then repeat, starting with sauce.

5. I got about 3 good layers in my pan. if you're doing a 9x13, you may only get 2. Once you add your sauce to the top, it's ready to go into the oven for about 25 minutes, then pull it out, add more cheese to the top and back for about another 20 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes, then serve!

Yes, there really IS mayo in it! The mayor helps to thicken the sauce, and help it COAT your noodles in yumminess! Did you know you can use it to make your Alfredo sauce creamy too? AND because your using this healthy mayo, you're not adding all those calories from cream!

You can purchase this great mayo off the Fresh Farms website, or via Amazon directly (with Prime shipping!)! We're definitely putting it on our regular shopping list! You'll want to give it a try to!