Cheese and Parsley Pasta

Middle Eastern Mac n' Cheese!

Every culture has it, and here is ours :) Syrian cooking does not involve much pasta, and this is one of few recipes I know. Adults and children love this pasta because the ingredients are simple and unfussy, and the flavors are cheesy and yummy. This is commonly a brunch item and the leftovers taste just as good. I'll often keep the cheese and parsley mixture ready in the freezer and then just toss it with boiled pasta and pop it in the oven for a quick meal that is sure to satisfy the whole gang.  The cheese mixture is similar to my cheese pastries, but this is pasta-style for more of a main meal. Either recipe is amazing...queso blanco is a really good mild flavored white cheese that tastes good cold or melted....excuse me while I go heat a bowl of this stretchy, gooey pasta heaven!

Serves 6

Ingredients
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-1 pound elbow pasta, boiled al dente
-2 cups shredded queso blanco cheese
-1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (you can leave this out if you don't want it to be too cheese-y but in this dish I think the more cheese the better the taste)
-1 cup parsley, finely chopped
-1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
-1/3 + 1/2 cup seasoned or plain bread crumbs
-1/4 Parmesan cheese (optional)

Assembly
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-Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
-Spray a 9x13 inch casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and sprinkle with 1/3 cup bread crumbs
-Mix all ingredients together (except for bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese) and spread into casserole dish.
-Sprinkle bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese on top and bake in oven for 20-25 minutes until cheese is melted and bread crumbs have browned. Sometimes I turn the oven to broil and brown the top quickly to speed up the process.
-Enjoy, or as the Syrian's say, "Sahtayn iw hanna!" :)

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P.S. How cute is my pumpkin tree?!