Baked Pasta With Chicken Sausage

This is a yummy Martha Stewart dish I discovered at My Kitchen Cafe. I love one dish meals that have a little bit of everything. This pasta bake is not only delicious and full of flavor but pretty healthy too. Another plus, you can freeze this dish and eat half now and half later! Throw in a side salad and some bread and you'll have one big happy family!

Baked Pasta With Chicken Sausage

My Kitchen Cafe

*Makes a heaping full 9X13 pan*

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium red onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes

1 (14.5 oz.) can crushed tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 pound rigatoni

10 ounces frozen baby spinach, thawed and drained well (can substitute 1 9-oz. bag fresh spinach)

12 ounces precooked smoked chicken (or turkey) sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick (find this in the same section/aisle as the hot dogs next to the precooked kielbasa and chorizo - you can use the Jennie-O brand and it is precooked in a U-shape.

8 ounces mozzarella cheese, 4 ounces cut into 1/2-inch cubes and 4 ounces shredded

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic. Cook for another minute.Stir in tomatoes, oregano and basil; simmer for 8-10 minutes. Add cream; cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste.Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook pasta in the boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions. (If using fresh spinach, add it to the pot of boiling pasta right at the end and cook until wilted.) Drain, and return contents to pot.Add tomato sauce, sausage, spinach and cubed mozzarella to the pot; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Scoop pasta into lightly greased 9X13-inch pan (or divide evenly between two 8X8-inch pans). Top with grated mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake until browned and edges are crisp, 20 to 30 minutes.

*Freezable Meal: Prepare recipe right up until the baking step and then cover with a double layer of aluminum foil. Freeze. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. To bake, increase baking time to 1 to 1 1/4 hours. If baking from frozen, bake covered for 1 hour and 15 minutes, uncover and bake 30 minutes longer.

Posted by: Sallie