Pasta e Fagioli

This soup is what my mom would call a "happy accident." This wasn't going to be the other night's dinner (or most likely, any night's, any time soon.) Instead, I had quick and easy recipe to try out that I was looking forward to. But those plans came to a halt when I discovered last minute, that the key ingredient had somehow gone bad (and we're not talking questionable, but trashcan bound). I knew I needed to come up with something quickly, working with what I had on hand. I wasn't feeling in a particularly creative mood and at this point, I just wanted a straightforward recipe to work with. My next obstacle was that my biggest source for recipes- and especially when I am pressed for time- is the Internet. Which just happened to be down at the time.

I grabbed the file folder that I keep of recipes torn from magazines and quickly skimmed through it. I stopped at Everyday Food's Pasta e Fagioli, only because I had everything and it looked easy. I got to work, but even as I was making it, I'd already written it off as "something to feed us" and little else. It seemed rather ordinary, and the photo accompanying it wasn't really that impressive, at least not compared to what you normally see in the magazine. As a matter of fact, I'm not even sure why I saved the recipe in the first place. But man, am I glad I did! This might've just been a means to get dinner on the table, but it wound up being something I will make again and again.


Pasta e Fagioli
adapted slightly from Everyday Food, December 2010
serves 4

I want to note that I used a can of diced tomatoes flavored with basil, garlic and oregano and a can of (broken up) stewed tomatoes in this. They were both bought on accident, and have been just hanging out in my pantry, because they contained high fructose corn syrup. While I will make this with my regular diced tomatoes next time, I think the sweetness added to the soup, so I'd suggest adding in a little bit of the sweetener of your choice if the tomatoes you use are not sweet.

1 tbsp olive oil
3 celery ribs, chopped
3 carrots, in medium dice
1/2 large red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp dried oregano
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
2 (14.5 oz) cans or 1 (28 oz) can of diced tomatoes
3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1 Parmesan rind, plus additional freshly grated parmesan for serving
1 cup whole grain shells, or other small pasta
1 (15.5 oz) can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
I cup coarsely chopped fresh baby spinach, stems removed

In a good sized heavy pot, such as a Dutch Oven or casserole, heat oil over medium. Add celery, carrots, onion and garlic. Season with oregano, a few pinches of salt and several grinds of pepper. Cook stirring occasionally until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.

Add tomatoes, broth and Parmesan rind. Increase heat to high and simmer rapidly until liquid thickens slightly, 5 minutes. Stir in pasta and cook, partially covered, until pasta is just shy of al dente (for my pasta, this took about 10 minutes).

Add beans and continue to cook for a few minutes, until they are warmed through and pasta is al dente. Remove from heat and stir in chopped spinach. Serve topped with grated parmesan.

Four Cheese Garden Vegetable Lasagna

Lasagna is something I rarely make, and for a very good reason. You see, in my husband's eyes, no lasagna will ever compare to his mom's, and I was informed early on that any attempts on my part would be futile. She scoffs at the idea that hers is anything out of the ordinary, but it really is quite wonderful, plus we all know how strongly sentiment can play a part in the foods we love. When I do make lasagna, I go for unconventional recipes- such as the the Very Best Of Fall Lasagna- that bare little resemblance to the one Sage grew up eating.

This weekend, I found myself with an excess of cream cheese in my refrigerator, as well as some broccoli and green onions intended for a recipe that I completely lost interest in. Trying to think of what I could make to use them up, lasagna popped in my head. It sounded like a great idea, since I had the time to make a more involved dish and also because we've been suddenly having some chilly weather (this is after having to resort to running my a/c earlier in the week- typical Florida). I knew the version I was envisioning was different enough from my mother-in-law's that I could get away it.

I wanted to keep this relatively healthy, and with whole wheat noodles, low fat cheeses, such as cottage, and lots of veggies, I think I did a good job of managing that while coming up with a dish every bit as delicious as it's higher fat counterpart. I also opted for a simple red sauce over the bechamel that is most paired with broccoli in lasagna. The end result was a meal we all really, really enjoyed. Even Sage.



Four Cheese Garden Vegetable Lasagna
By starting the sauce first and letting it simmer while you chop all of your veggies and prepare the cheese filling, it really adds very little time your prep. But to simplify, you could always substitute 4 1/2 cups of store-bought, good quality pasta sauce.

1 (8 oz) package of Neufchatel Cheese (or reduced fat cream cheese)
1 (24 oz.) container low-fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided
1 egg
1 large head of broccoli, chopped in small florets
2 large carrots, in small dice
1 medium red pepper, chopped
4 green onions, sliced (white and light green parts only)
3/4 cup 2% mozzarella cheese
kosher salt and pepper
1 (9oz) No-Boil whole wheat lasagna noodles
Simple Chunky Marinara Sauce (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 400.

Place Neufchtel Cheese and cottage cheese in the bowl of a food processor, and process until smooth. Add egg and 1/4 cup of the parmesan and process until blended. Transfer contents to a large bowl, along with broccoli, carrots, pepper and onion. Season with salt and pepper and mix to combine. Set aside.

Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of a large, deep baking dish (mine is 9 x 13 x 3). Arrange 4-6 noodles, slightly overlapping, breaking any as needed to fit your pan. Layer half of vegetable mixture and about a cup of marinara. Repeat another layer of noodles, remaining vegetables and another cup of sauce. Add a final layer of noodles and top with remaining sauce.

In a small bowl, combine remaining parmesan with mozzarella. Sprinkle evenly over top of lasagna. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and if desired, uncover and broil for 1-2 minutes.

Let rest for 20 minutes before serving in order to set. (It will seem liquidy when first removed from the oven).

Simple Chunky Marinara (yields 4 1/2 cups)
1 tsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5 oz) can of diced tomatoes
1 (14.5 oz) can of diced tomatoes, pureed (using an immersion blender or food processor)
1 (8 oz) can of tomato sauce
1 (6 oz) can of tomato paste
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp kosher salt
fresh ground pepper

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium. Add garlic and cook for a minutes, then add all remaining sauce ingredients. Stir well, reduce heat and simmer for at least a half hour. Stirring occasionally.

Fresh Pasta with Sweet Tomato Sauce and Baked Ricotta

I first saw this recipe on Cate's World Kitchen and thought it looked great. Shortly after, I saw it on a couple other blogs, which of course made me want to make it even more. I finally remembered to buy ricotta, and I can say this was every bit as delicious as I expected it to be and perhaps even more! It was a beautiful evening, so we enjoyed this wonderful meal out on our deck, along with crusty multi-grain bread and some glasses of wine.

I've always been under the impression you had to have a pasta roller in order to make your own pasta, but Cate made it sound easy enough to do with just a rolling pin and a pizza cutter so I decided to try it. If that's a little too ambitious, you could always buy fresh pasta from the grocery, but it really was easy. In fact, even making the pasta, this meal came together fairly quick (with the exception of straining the ricotta) but tasted like something that took much longer.

Pasta with Sweet Tomato Sauce and Baked Ricotta,

Slightly adapted from Jamie Oliver (via Cate's World Kitchen)

1 (15 oz.) container of ricotta (part-skim is fine) drained in a cheesecloth-lined strainer for a few hours

1 tsp plus 1 tbsp olive oil

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 medium onion, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (28 oz.) can whole tomatoes with juices

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

sugar, to taste (I omitted, as my tomatoes were sweet enough)

1 lb. wide pasta, such a pappardalle (recipe for fresh pasta, below)

a handful of fresh basil, torn

freshly grated parmesan, for serving

Preheat oven to 400. Place drained ricotta in the center of a foil or parchment lined baking sheet and flatten to a 1 inch thick disk. Rub with 1 tsp olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and oregano. Bake for 15 minutes and set aside.

Cook pasta according to recipe or package directions. Drain, reserving some of the pasta water, and set aside.

Heat remaining oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 15 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, crush the tomatoes into pieces. Stir in salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar. Taste, and add a small amount of sugar, if needed.

Toss the cooked pasta with the sauce. If neccessary, add a tbsp or two of the reserved pasta water. (If using the fresh pasta recipe below, there will be plenty of sauce to coat the pasta without the water.)

To serve, transfer pasta and sauce to serving dishes, and top with crumbled ricotta, basil and parmesan.

Fresh pasta

adapted from Jamie's Italy by Jamie Oliver, via Cate's World Kitchen

2 cups flour (I used unbleached all purpose)

3 whole eggs

kosher salt

Wisk together flour and a few pinches of salt. Make a well into the center and crack the eggs into it. Using a fork, wisk the eggs together without mixing in any flour until they're smooth and yellow.

Once the eggs are beaten, mix into the flour. Once it becomes too thick to stir, turn out onto the counter and knead for for about 8 minutes, or until the dough is very smooth. (This can be done up to two days ahead- knead until smooth, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate.)

When ready to use, lightly flour work surface and rolling pin. Roll dough into a large rectangle so it's less than an 1/8 inch thick. Using a pizza cutter, cut into strips of desired thickness.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Drop the pasta in a few strands at a time, stirring so they don't stick together. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until al dente. Drain but do not rinse.

Italian Meatball Soup

I've had a sick and very overworked husband lately. He finally got a chance to come home and get some much needed rest in the other day. (This is not as great as it sounds, since wet, cold weather postponed the tournament he was working, and he had to work his day off instead.) But at least he was able to take a nice hours-long couch nap, inside away from the cold rain.

I thought it would be nice to have a yummy bowl of soup when he woke up. Since I wasn't expecting him home for dinner, let alone so early, I hadn't planned on making soup, and had to use what I had on hand. Which turned out to be a limited selection of vegetables and a freezer full of some odd meats that we don't normally eat- like ground lamb and real sausage links. There was was ground pork, so I decided to make little meatballs, and use pasta to make up for the lack of veggies. Since making this, I've discovered my product of improvising is actually pretty much a real soup, Italian Meatball. Of course, there are tons of versions, and I'm not claiming mine is authentic, since I wasn't even aware of its existance prior to making it.

Sage was so happy to wake up to homemade soup, and the three of really enjoyed it. We are more vegetable eaters than meat eaters in our house, so next time I would half the meatball recipe and double the vegetables, but I will write it as I made it. I also think zucchini and/or spinach would go great. Other changes could be using half pork/half ground beef for the meatballs, and using beef broth/stock, instead of the chicken (omitting the worcestershire.) You could also increase the amount of stock for a soupier soup, although we liked it not as brothy.

1 lb. lean ground pork (or half pork/half ground beef)
1 medium onion
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tbsp Italian seasoning
1/3 cup Italian style bread crumbs
1 egg yolk
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
cooking spray
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large carrot, thin sliced
2 celery ribs, thin sliced
1 (14.5 oz.) can of petite diced tomatoes
1 (32 oz.) carton of low sodium chicken stock
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
! large handful of parsley, chopped
1 cup uncooked whole grain macaroni (or cavatappi)
lots of grated parmesan, for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mince 1/3 of the onion and set the remainder aside.

In a large bowl, mix ground meat, minced onion, half of the minced garlic, Italian seasoning, bread crumbs, egg yolk together and season with salt and pepper. Using hands, form into small meatballs (about 1 level tbsp worth) and line on a rimmed baking sheet, sprayed with cooking spray. (I got 45 meatballs.)

Bake meatballs for about 15 minutes, or until cooked through, shaking baking sheet occasionally to promote even browning. Once done, transfer to a paper-towel lined plate.

While meatballs are cooking, heat oil in a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Chop remaining onion, and add to pot, along with carrot and celery. Saute for about 8 minutes, or until onion is translucent but not browning. Add remaining garlic and cook for another minute.

To vegetable mixture, add tomatoes, stock, worcestershire, 1 tbsp salt, lots of pepper, and chopped parsley. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package dirrections. Drain and set aside.

Once vegetables are tender, add meatballs to broth and heat through. Stir in cooked pasta. Remove from heat, and top each serving with parmesan.

Roasted Eggplant and Mushroom Ragu

When it comes to Italian pasta sauces, I still haven't figured out the differences between them all, so please excuse me if I've incorrectly named this one. I believe Ragus typically are a meat based sauce, but there sure are plenty recipes for eggplant and other vegetable ragus. If I'd followed a recipe, I'd just call this whatever they did, but since I couldn't find the one I wanted to use, I just went on my own. Regardless of what it should be called, it was wonderful.

This was a highly flavorful sauce and quite hearty for being meatless. You know you've created a successful meal when your husband tells you multiple times during eating how delicious it is. And since its loaded with veggies, pretty good for you too. I served this over a high protein multigrain farfalle, but really any pasta will do. (I just have always liked farfalle and am happy that I've begun finding whole wheat and multigrain varieties lately.)

serves 4-5
1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2 in. cubes
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1 large carrot, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, minced
1 (8 oz.) package sliced cremini mushrooms
1 (14.5 oz.) can Italian style diced tomatoes
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1/3 cup dry red wine (I used a Petite Sirah)
1/2 tbsp dried basil
1 bay leaf
crush red pepper, to taste
1 (14.5 oz.) box multigrain farfalle, or pasta of choice
fresh grated parmesan, for serving

Preheat oven to 400. Arrange eggplant on roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 3 tbsps of olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast in preheated oven for 30 minutes, shaking pan occasionally. Set aside.

Heat remaining oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add carrot, celery, garlic and onion. Season with salt and pepper, and saute for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add mushrooms, and saute for another 5 minutes.

Add roasted eggplant to sauteed vegetables, using a wooden spoon to scraped up any browned bits. Add tomatoes, paste, sauce, wine, basil, bay leaf and red pepper and stir to combine. Cover and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for 30 minutes.

While sauce is simmering, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Remove and discard bay leaf from sauce and serve over top of cooked pasta with grated parmesan.

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Saturday afternoon I was in a bit of a funk for no particular reason. Which was odd, because the weather was fabulous and actually fall-like, we were getting together in the evening with some of our best friends and I went grocery shopping, which to me is never a chore, but a fun activity. I knew the best way to improve my mood was to spend some time in my kitchen, and of course I was right. Almost instantly I was feeling better.

I was craving some kind of comfort food and eggplant parmesan sounded perfect. Despite it being a favorite dish of mine, I'd never actually tried making it at home before, but I was pretty sure I could do it without following a recipe. I was very happy with how it came out.

I rarely use store bought sauce ever since a friend showed me a few years back how easy it is to make your own. I always make it a little different, depending on what I have on hand. This was the first time I actually wrote down what I used or measured out ingredients, and I'm glad I did because this one was definitely worth sharing. You could use another marinara recipe or even jarred sauce, but I believe the sauce was certainly a big part of why my first attempt at eggplant parm was such a success.

Baked Eggplant Parmesan (3 servings)
1 small to medium eggplant (1 lb.) unpeeled and cut into 1/2 in. rounds
kosher salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup Italian style dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup plus 3 tbsp shredded parmesan
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
cooking spray
2 1/2 cups of chunky marinara (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Salt and press eggplant by placing a layer of eggplant in collander. Top with salt. Repeat with all of the eggplant. Cover and weigh down, for an hour. One at a time, rinse salt off of slices and blot dry with paper towels. (This entire process can be omitted to save time, if desired.)

Prepare two shallow bowls for dredging, one with eggs, the other with breadcrumbs and parmesan. Dip an eggplant slice into the egg and allow excess to drip off. Dredge into breadcrumb and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese mixture. Place on baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Repeat with all eggplant pieces. Bake for 10 minutes, flip and bake for 15 minutes.

Raise oven temperature to 400. Spread about 1/2 cup of marinara in the bottom of an 11 x 7 baking dish. Place a layer of eggplant over sauce. Top with another cup of sauce and sprinkle with half of the cheeses. Repeat with remaning eggplant, sauce and cheese. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to rest 5 minutes before serving.

Chunky Marinara (makes 4 1/2 cups)
1 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregeno
1 tsp parsley
1 (15 oz.) can diced or whole tomatoes, pureed (or 1 can of of crushed tomatoes)
1 (15 oz.) can Italian style diced tomatoes
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (6 oz.) can of tomato paste
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp red pepper (or to taste)
1/2 cup dry red wine (I used a Cabernet)

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Saute, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes or until soft but not browned. Add basil, oregano and parsley. Cook for another few minutes.

Add all of the remaining ingredients. Reduce heat and simmer for an hour. If not using the sauce is not being used right then, refrigerate or freeze.

Chicken Parmesan

Whenever I go out to restaraunts, I try to avoid eating chicken, because I can have that any time at home. Because of that, I doubt I've ever ordered Chicken Parmesan anywhere. Sure, I've had before, but it's never stuck out in my head as anything that incredible, yet other people seem to love it.

I was browsing through some blogs the other day, and came across Oven Baked Chicken Parmesan on Good Things Catered. And for some reason it just appealed to me. It reminded me of another version I'd seen recently on the blog A Year in the Kitchen. So I compared the two and decided on the A Year in the Kitchen version, as I prefered her cooking method, but to I wanted to include some ingredients from the other recipe. We decided to have our close friends, Sumer and Michael, over for dinner, and I knew this would be a great choice. Sage made this one, and it was quick and easy. It's a great dish for company too, because while its in the oven, you can quickly clean up the kitchen, throw together a salad and cook your pasta, or you can even opt to make it ahead of time and keep warm in the oven.

This was absolutely delicious, which isn't something you'll hear me say very often about a piece of chicken. I even got excited about getting to eat the leftovers (Just as tasty, BTW.) You could serve this over any kind of pasta, but I had some whole wheat egg noodles I wanted to give a try. Usually we buy the Yoke-free ones, but the whole wheat were great- they taste the closest to regular white noodles of any whole wheat ones I've ever had. Our chicken breasts were very large, so we only used 3, and halved them, and it was more than enough for 4 people, but this makes enough to dredge several more breasts to serve more people.

adapted from A Year in the Kitchen (with influence by Good Things Catered)

3-5 chicken breasts

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp milk

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 cup olive oil (or more if needed)

2 1/2 cups zesty marinara

1 3/4 cups mozzarella (or 1 1/2 cups mozzarella & 1/4 cup parmesan)

cooked pasta

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pound chicken to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut each breasts into half.

Set out 3 shallow bowls, one with flour, one with egg and milk, and one with mixed breadcrumbs and seasonings. Dip chicken in flour, tap off excess, wash in egg, then press into breadcrumbs.

Heat larget skillet and add oil. Working in batches, place chicken into hot oil and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden. Take chicken out, and drain on paper towels. Add extra oil if necessary. Proceed with remaining chicken.

Add half the marinara to a baking dish. Place chicken on top of sauce in a single layer. Cover with remaining marinara and cheese, bake for 20 minutes, or until brown and bubbly. Serve over pasta. (If you're not eating chicken right away, lower oven to 250 degrees, cover with foil, and serve when ready.)

Polenta Lasagna with Vegetable Bolognese

The only time I remember having polenta, it was fried and covered in a mushroom sauce. It wasn't anything I was crazy about, yet I knew I would really like polenta served another way, so I bought a tube of it, having no idea what I was going to make.

I went back to my fave blog, A Year in the Kitchen, and found her lasagna made with polenta instead of noodles. I would never normally attempt lasagna, since Sage thinks his mom's is the best in the world, but I knew this would be different. I went ahead with the bolognese, and followed the recipe as closely as I could, only making minor changes when necessary, due to what I had on hand.

It's rather time consuming, and halfway through I was thinking I should've made a simple sauce and just tossed sliced veggies into the layers...but once we had it, I was so pleased I'd taken the time to make this delicious sauce. This was so good!!! I did cook up a turkey Italian sausage, which I put on half of the lasagna for Sage. All three of us loved this dish. Maybe next time I'll attempt making the polenta from sctratch!

Polenta Lasagna with Vegetable Bolognese

Ashlee Wetherington, A Year In the Kitchen

One tube Polenta, sliced into 1/2 in. thick rounds (to make from scratch*)

Ricotta Mixture:
1 cup ricotta cheese (I used part-skim)
1 egg
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese (I used a Italian blend that also included parmesan)
salt and pepper
chopped fresh oregano and parsley (I used 1/4 tsp. dried parsley)

Bolognese:
1 tbsp. olive oil

1 green bell pepper, chunked
1 yellow bell pepper, chunked (I used 1/2 red pepper)
1 small zucchini, chunked (omitted, didn't have)
4 oz. cremini mushrooms (I used 8oz. baby bellas)
1 carrot, peeled, chunked (I used 8 baby carrots)
2 celery stalks, chunked
1 large yellow onion, chunked
3 garlic cloves, smashed (I used 2 tbsp, minced)
salt and pepper
2 tbsp. tomato paste (I used 1/2 can- I love tomato paste!)
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 15 oz. can tomato puree
2 tbsp. chopped fresh italian herbs (I subbed 1 tsp. Italian seasonings and 1 tsp. dried basil)
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
Crushed red pepper flakes (I used 1 tsp.)

Extra mozzarella for topping

1 Turkey Italian sausage (if desired,) casing removed, crumbled and browned

*If making polenta, prepare first.

To make bolognese:

1. Heat a large saucepot over medium-high heat. Add oil.

2. Add vegetables (in small batches) to the food processor. Pulse until they are in a fine mince. Add to the pan with oil. Continue with all vegetables, season heavily with salt and pepper. Stir and cook until all moisture is cooked out and vegetables begin to brown, about 20-25 minutes. (Since I used double the mushrooms, mine took about 30 minutes to cook out the extra moisture.)

3. Add tomato paste and wine. Reduce. Add tomatoes and spices, stir and heat through. Taste and adjust seasonings.

To prepare lasagna:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Add all ricotta mixture ingredients to a small bowl, stir to combine.

3. Add 1/3 of the bolognese to a baking dish, top with half the polenta rounds. Spread the ricotta over the polenta, top with another 1/3 of the sauce. (This is where I added the cooked sausage to half of the dish.) Add the rest of the polenta rounds, top with sauce and mozzarella cheese shreds. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.

4. Let sit 5-10 minutes to set, before serving.

Baked Penne with Spinach and Turkey Italian Sausage

One of my go-to dinners is a baked Italian-style casserole. Usually I make it with ground turkey and lots of peppers and mushrooms. Last night, I felt like mixing it up and using turkey Italian sausage and spinach. It was so good!

I asked Sage if he'd rather big pieces of sausage or for me to take the casings off and have the meat crumbled throughout. He said big pieces, but we both decided afterwards, we'd rather have had it the other way, since you didn't get the sausage in every bite. Plus it would be easier to cook. This makes a lot, but in my opinion, these types of dishes are even better the next day!

1/2 of a 14 oz box of multi-grain Penne (or Rotini or Ziti)

1 lb. (4 links) of Hot Italian Turkey Sausage

1 (10 oz.) pkg. of frozen spinach

2 tbsp minced garlic

1 small onion, chopped

1 (8 oz.) pkg. of sliced mushrooms

1 (15 oz) can of Italian style tomatoes, with juice

1/2 of a 6 oz. can of tomato paste

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella

Parmesan, for serving

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cook pasta according to package dirrections.

3. In a large saute pan over medium high heat, brown sausages on all sides, adding just enough water to pan to keep sausages from sticking. Once browned, remove from pan. (Or remove from casings and cook until no longer pink.)

4. Meanwhile, remove spinach from package, and microwave in a bowl for 4 minutes or until no longer icy. Drain well.

5. To saute pan, add a few tablespoons of water to deglaze any stuck-on bits. Add garlic and onion and cook for 5 minutes.

6. Cut sausages into 1/2 inch pieces and return to pan. Rinse mushrooms and add to pan. Stir frequently until sausage pieces are no longer pink. Drain liquid from pan.

7. Reduce heat, and add spinach, canned tomatoes, paste, tomato sauce, and spices. Mix well.

8. In 9 x 13 glass baking dish, place drained pasta. Top with sausage mixture and stir gently to combine. Top evenly with shredded cheese and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and casserole is heated throughout.

9. Serve with grated/shredded parmesan.