Penne Pasta Casserole and Green Beans with Garlic, tomatoes, Olives, and Capers

Carolyn Rawie gave me this recipe when Jud retired from Woodland as the pastor.  We had been there for 13 years so everyone was asked to bring 13 things to the retirement party.  Carolyn brought me 13 recipes.  She knows how much I love to cook.  The green beens are from KalynsKitchen.com
The recipe for the green beans follows the pasta recipe.


Printable Recipe:
https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingattheedwards/penne-pasta-casserole

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (14 oz) can tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes, drained (original)
3 cups penne pasta, prepared according to pkg. drain and set aside
2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers, shredded
Saute' onion in 2 tablespoons of oil until browned and soft. Set aside. Brown ground beef separately until completely cooked. (Not sure why the onions need to be cooked separately) Next time I will probably cook them together.
Transfer ground meat into a large bowl. Mix together saute'ed onions, browned meat, the can of tomatoes, the can of Ro-Tel (drained) and the 3 cups of pasta. I cooked 3 cups uncooked pasta. After making it, I think it was probably 3 cups of cooked pasta.
Add in 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese and 3/4 cup of monterey jack cheese. Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Pour into greased 9" X 13" casserole pan.
Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Bake ( covered with foil) in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes

If you make ahead and refrigerate, adjust baking time to heat thoroughly.  I baked it 1 hour.  I made two small casserole dishes out of this recipe.  Then again, I did add 3 cups of uncooked pasta that I had cooked.

Printable Recipe:
https://sites.google.com/site/whatscookingattheedwards/green-beans-with-olives

Braised Green Beans with Garlic, Tomatoes, Olives, and Capers
Ingredients:
1 pound fresh green beans, ends trimmed
2 teaspoons finely minced fresh garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
8-10 Kalamata olives, coarsely chopped( I had salad olives so I used those
2 tablespoons capers
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
2 teaspoons thinly sliced fresh basil (optional) basil was not in season, so I didn't use it.
Trim or cut ends from green beans. Coarsely chop the Kalamata olives and mince the garlic.

Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet with a lid, using medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook about 1 minute, just until the garlic is getting fragrant. Add the beans and stir until beans are all coated with the hot oil.

Add the canned tomatoes with juice, chopped Kalamata olives, capers, and 2 tablespoons water. I used the liquid from the capers instead of water. Reduce heat to low, cover the pan, and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until beans are just starting to get tender. Stir a few times.

When beans are barely tender, remove lid, raise heat to medium, and cook. Cook until any remaining liquid is evaporated, probably no longer than 2 minutes. (Add thinly sliced fresh basil now if you're using it.) Season beans with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste, and serve hot.