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The events you are about to read are actual events that occurred Sunday between the hours of 6:20pm and 7 pm. Both parties have been allowed to tell their side of events.
This is a real story about a pasta weirdo, aka my husband. Though initially I had not intended to post this, it was he who suggested I share with you. Frankly I think the suggestion came with a slight selfish goal behind it. It is my belief that he wants this event documented so that he may have future evidence against me. I also believe that he would like for the cruelty forced upon him to be known. So here it goes.
Me: “Dinner’s ready!” As I set down our biggest baking dish on the table.
Him: “What did you make? Oh…”
Me: “Its baked penne pasta with Bolognese sauce, I topped it with grated Mozzarella cheese too.”
Him: “It’s mostaccioli.” Said with a profound look of disappointment
Me: “Huh? No it’s penne pasta” Said with a tone of sarcasm and sass
He then goes on to say that he hates mostaccioli. What? That’s news to me. Yes, I know when it comes to pasta that isn’t long, thin, and flat noodles like spaghetti, fettucini, linguine, pappardelle, tagliatelle, lasagna he rather not eat it. Though he does love macaroni and that isn’t a long thin pasta. He says, “Yeah, but that’s different” Huh? See total weirdo. I figured though the pasta wasn’t a shape he liked the fact that it did have Bolognese sauce, cheese and it was baked, all things he loves, would make it okay. He of course does not agree.
Him: “Okay but the dish is called mostaccioli. Come on you’ve never had it before? You must have, it’s common with kids in the states, cookouts, school cafeterias. And I hate it” (Said as he took his first bite)
Me: “I’m sure I have then, I must have just forgotten about it. Well, I didn’t think I was inventing anything new. I was just trying to recreate it from the Italian restaurant.”
He then goes on to make a joke about how “apparently” I was thinking that I’d invented a new pasta dish. One he’d never heard of and would love. Oh he’s so funny, not! Did I tell you that as he was making his “funny” joke he served himself a second scoop. Well he did.
Me: “Well, I didn’t know you hated mostaccioli OR baked penne. You never told me.” (Sshh don’t tell him but after I said that I had a flashback of him telling me something about a baked pasta he hated. Obviously I choose to ignore his words. ) “And NO I didn’t think I was inventing something new. I made the whole bag, enough for 6 people thinking we could eat it for a couple…or few meals.”
Him: Laughing “Yes, I see. But I hate mostaccioli.” Serving himself another scoop.
Me: Sarcastically, “I’m sorry, I won’t ever make you mostaccioli OR baked penne again. You don’t have to eat any more of it. I’ll eat the leftovers.”
Him: Laughing “No it’s okay we can eat if for lunch tomorrow.” Another scoop goes on his plate.
Me: “So I can see how much you hate mostacciolli. How many scoops is that?” I burst out laughing
All in all he had about 5 scoops of mostaccioli, which did I tell you he supposedly hates. Proof that men are weirdos. I swear you can put any food in front of a man and even if he hates it he’ll scarf it down. Weirdos I tell ya! But at least now I know what to cook for him when he “forgets” to throw out the trash or makes me listen to bad screaming 80s metal bands.
To be fair, in the end my husband leaned over to hug me and say that he was just joking. Well, not about the part of hating mostaccioli, he still hates it. But he said that he liked mine and thanked me for making him a yummy dinner. Everybody say, aaaaawwwww!
- 500 g or 1 lb ground beef
- 1 15 oz (400 grams) can chopped stewed tomatoes
- 6 oz (200 grams) tomato puree
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp. dried Thyme
- 2 tsp. dried Oregano
- 2 tsp. dried Basil
- 1 large bay leaf
- 1 tsp. salt, adjust to taste
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- 1 Tbs. olive oil
- 1 pack of penne/mostaccioli pasta
- grated cheese
- Heat the oil, cook the ground meat all the way through. Drain off all excess fat from the pan. Next add the minced garlic and cook for 3 minutes, then add all of the spices and stir around for 1 minutes. Add the stewed tomatoes and tomato puree, stir. Cover and simmer until pasta has been boiled.
- Preheat oven to 200c or 375f, prepare a large baking dish. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Once pasta is cooked and drained mix with Bolognese sauce until well combined. Pour the pasta into the baking dish, cover with a layer of your favorite grated cheese. Place baking dish in center of oven and bake for 30 minutes and until cheese has melted completely.
How can one not like such a delicious dish? ;-P Your post made me smile.
Cheers,
Rosa
Haha, he’s weird like that:) Thanks Rosa
Too funny! If that’s how much he eats when he hates a dish, I’d love to see the response to a favorite meal :)
Lol, well he was really hungry so maybe that had something to do with it:)
Well I am 100% Italian by heritage and I didn’t even know that. I call it baked penne! I’m glad he was able to suffer through it ;)
Hi Julie,
It must be a regional name for it, I don’t know. But I did look up mostaccioli pasta and I found out that it’s penne but sometimes also know as mostaccioli. Thanks:)
Totally sounds like my hubby who claims he doesn’t like many things but usually always changes his mind. Men are strange indeed! I love your little dish towel/napkin too, BTW.
Hehe, that’s funny. Thanks, it’s from Ukraine and it was a gift from my husband:)
Swear you just re-enacted a conversation between us instead of you and your husband! The dish looks amazing. Hilarious post.
Hehe, thanks:)
Hehe, that was a great story. I truly believe men like all food. Even better so when they don’t have to make it themselves. I didn’t know what mostaccioli either.
Thanks Emily. Haha, maybe that’s the reason then.
Great post Nancy hope you doing great :) have submitted my recipe for YBR just check my submission and lemme know if it’s fine ….
Thank Maria. I just checked your submission. I had to edit it so the correct info was added. But you’re all set:)
I have to laugh at this because, even though I am half-Italian, I don’t really like thick tubular pastas. I make them, I eat them, but if the truth be known, somehow it is just too much starch per bite for me. I much prefer skinnier pastas, though I understand you have to match your pasta with an appropriate sauce. Having said this, your dish looks heavenly and I can imagine I would have left my plate looking just like your husband’s. But I sympathize with him. ;-)
Hi Victoria,
Lol, he’s going to love reading this:) Thanks Victoria!
What a cute story! I happen to love baked penne and yours looks absolutely delicious :).
Thanks Laura!
Fortunately my husband eats anything I put in front of him but then again it sounds like your husband does too. I can’t understand the liking one kind of pasta and not another – they basically all have the same ingredients (with a couple of exceptions) so how can shape affect us so much? But I realize it does.
Hi Suzanne,
I think that’s just a man thing, hehe. Everyone has their own quirks I guess:)
LOL!! Sound like an episode of “I love Lucy”. Tell your hubby that a wife knows better than a husband what he likes to eat. The empty plate and baking dish are the proof. Men are weird. Sometimes my hubby is critical of a new dish and then he still gets 2nds and after eating it it’s all glowing comments. Who knows…. I guess they are like the proverbial horse at water…. you can’t make them drink it… but they usually do. :)
PS.. I would eat 5 servings too… it looks soooo delicious. :)
Haha, yeah I often say the same thing about us being like Ricky and Lucky:) My husband will taste things first and if he doesn’t like then he’ll say so. I much prefer the honesty and advice on how to improve a dish. But when it’s things he just doesn’t like then it’s different, lol. Thanks Ramona:)
Well I live in St. Louis. I don’t recall it being baked. So I would go with you and it is baked penne. Now, my mom made this but with curly noodles and called it skroodles. My husband loves it!
I also do this baked with leftover chili. I mix leftover chili with noodles and poor into a casserole. Then I top with shredded cheddar cheese and bake. Family loves it. You can serve with with a dollop of sour cream.
Hi Anne,
I love your mom’s name, so cute. Your pasta with the chili leftovers sounds really good too. Thanks I’ll have to try that sometime.
Haha, I can see having a similar conversation with my husband. In fact I’m fairly certain we’ve had versions of it a few times before. ;-)
Hi Sylvie,
It must bee something that happens between many couples then:)
It’s evident that he hated the dish. He didn’t even touch it, hehe
Hi Ben,
Yes, I think you’re right;) lol
Loud laughter! Here! And I am alone at the moment! Now: shall I look at the recipe and beaut photos or giggle at the repartee again? For what it’s worth, had never heard of mostaccioli, but have cooked with penne!! I too must admit to liking ‘skinny’ pastas, as Victoria from “Flavors of the Sun’ puts it, tagliatelle probably pipping others at the post ;) ! But, there never was enough for that next meal at your place, was there . . . .?
Hi Eha,
Lol, you crack me up:)
Hahaha, great story, I love it! That baked pasta looks so delicious! :)
Thank you Sara:)
Hmmm, methinks husband did not want to admit that he actually loved it! lol. I would say “men are weird,” but then we women are pretty strange too, eh? As for me, I never met a carb that I didn’t like!
Hi Trixie,
Haha, perhaps. Yes, us women are also pretty strange. We just don’t like to admit it. To be fair I need to do a post about one of my weird food aversions. So true, carbs rock! lol
it’s so funny: I am married to an American myself (being 100% Italian) and he seems to have similar idiosyncrasies about large pasta shapes. Made me smile!!!
Thank you Amelia:)
I’m really weird about my pasta too. I’ll eat any pasta, but I prefer capellini over spaghetti and I don’t like the sauce or cheese mixed in before it’s served. I like it on top and I mix it in myself. Don’t ask me why. I think it’s aesthetics.
Your sauce looks fab. I need to get some bay leaves.
Hi Holly,
Lol! I guess we all have our weird food things:)
Your story is very funny-) I love any kind of pasta, specially with seafood sauces! Yours looks very tasty.
Thanks Yelena!
Oh Nancy! This story was so fun, mainly because I can relate to you!! My husband doesn’t like pasta, period. He said he likes pasta that are served in very good Italian restaurant. Huh? Not mine? He said mine is okay (doubt it) but he just doesn’t like pasta served in ordinary restaurant. Who doesn’t like pasta in this world, must be just him. I can’t just avoid my favorite pasta, so I cook and he eats it but he sort of have similar comments just like your husband! Gosh, this was too funny. Thanks for sharing. I’m sending this link to my husband for fun. =D
Hi Nami,
Lol, that is so funny:)
Hi Nancy! it really didn’t sound like he hated your pasta dish but he has a quirky sense of humor-that’s for sure,lol! I don’t serve much pasta at home last night I served a farro salad and my husband said, you made too much of this, I hear that a lot! Hope you’re enjoying your week;-)
Hi Patty,
Haha, yes he does:) Thanks and you too.
I can eat pasta every single day and never get bored of it.This looks so yum and that shot of the pan over the top with spoon digging the pasta is making me drool!
Thank you Kankana!
GREAT HEADER! HaHaa! I must admit however, that I am as ignorant (forgive me) as your husband when it comes to short, funky pastas. It must be a hang up or something. Make the exact same dish using a spaghetti and I’m fine, penne, not so much. I think maybe I’m more of a filling girl than a pasta girl.
Hi Gwen,
Thank you, lol:) I can’t really understand why he feels that way. He would agree with you on the spaghetti over penne.
even my hubby behaves like this. just serve him the stuff he does not like and he will have some nice spoonfuls…. and then say yours was delicious and tasted so better than the ones i had before :-)
Haha:)
Funny story. I’m glad his actions spoke louder than his words. I could never live in a pasta-less house!
Thanks Joan! Luckily I don’t have to live in a pastaless house:)
You guys are too funny :) My boys love this dish…looks fantastic, and now I feel the need for pasta ;)
Hehe:) You can never have enough pasta.
Thanks for posting this recipe.. I live overseas and as a born and bred St.Louis gal-mostaccioli is a rite of passage. I will definitely have to introduce my crumbsnatchers to the joys of mostaccioli :)