Improvising Your Own Minestrone 4. When Mamma finally emerges from the kitchen with the steaming casserole of baked maccheroni, the most important meal of the week has finally begun. End up with a sumptuous old-style casserole of baked maccheroni in ragu studded with pockets of creamy ricotta. The meat becomes one of the most memorable pot roasts you'll ever eat. Serve the pasta as a main dish, then, a day later, have a dinner of meats, sliced and served with reheated sauce, salad and vegetables.
Nothing is better than sandwiches of the leftovers.
Dip rolls into a little rewarmed sauce, then stuff them with sliced meat. For the best flavor and easy defatting, cook the ragu a day or two ahead. Take care to not overcook the meats in rewarming. Blend with the red and black pepper and salt. Make 8 deep slits about 1 inch wide in each of the meats except the sausage.