Monday, September 14, 2015

BONUS Recipe for Busy Nights: Fast Pasta Bake

Everything in one casserole - perfect for the nights when you have to work late and are starved!  Meat, grain, dairy, several veggies, more veggies if you serve with a salad, and a fruit, if you have wine (that's my story and I'm sticking with it!)

Fast Pasta Bake


Ingredients:
1 pkg spiral pasta - I like the whole wheat or extra-fiber pastas
1 lb Italian turkey sausage (if you bought links, remove the casing)
1 med. onion, chopped (or 1/2 pkg frozen chopped onion)
5 garlic cloves, minced (or 2 T pre-minced garlic in oil
1 28 oz can crushed or diced tomatoes
1 t oregano
1 t basil
1/8 t pepper
1 pgk frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
12 c half and half
2 c mozzarella cheese
1/2 c Parmesan cheese

Procedure:
Preheat oven to 350
Cook pasta according to directions
Cook turkey and onion over med heat until the meat is no longer pink.
Add garlic and cook another minute
Stir in tomatoes, spices - bring to a boil, then simmer 10 minutes
Drain pasta
Stir into meat sauce mixture
Add spinach and cream
Transfer to 13x9 baking dish that's been sprayed with cooking spray
Sprinkle the cheese over
Bake 25-30 minutes (just enough time to dump some premade salad mixture into a bowl, uncork a bottle of wine, grab a quick shower and put your pj's on!!!)

(This one freezes well so you're not eating endless leftovers!)  or it serves 8-10

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