Zesty Penne with Sausage and Peppers

Zesty Penne with Sausage and Peppers
Recipe from Taste of Home

• 3 cups penne pasta, uncooked
• 1 lb. Italian sausage
• 1 each green and red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
• 1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce
• 1 tsp. fennel seed
• Dash crushed red pepper
• 4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) cream cheese, cubed
• 1/4 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Directions

• Cook pasta as directed on package.
• Meanwhile, crumble sausage into large skillet; cook and stir on medium heat 8 min. or until done. Drain. Add bell peppers; cook and stir 5 min. or until crisp-tender. Stir in next 3 ingredients; cook 5 min. or until heated through. Add cream cheese; cook 2 min. or until melted, stirring frequently.
• Drain pasta. Add to sausage mixture; mix lightly. Top with Parmesan. Yield: 4 servings, 2 cups each.

Our verdict - Good. Nothing spectacular, but it was good. The sausage gave it good flavor. I didn't have a jar of spaghetti sauce, so I used tomato sauce and added seasonings. This was easy and good.

Tuscan Pasta with Tomato-Basil Cream

Tuscan Pasta with Tomato-Basil Cream
Recipe from here

• 1 (20-oz.) package refrigerated four-cheese ravioli*
• 1 (16-oz.) jar sun-dried tomato Alfredo sauce
• 2 tablespoons white wine
• 2 medium-size fresh tomatoes, chopped**
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Garnish: fresh basil strips

Preparation

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, pour Alfredo sauce into a medium saucepan. Pour wine into sauce jar; cover tightly, and shake well. Stir wine mixture into saucepan. Stir in chopped tomatoes and 1/2 cup chopped basil, and cook over medium-low heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Toss with pasta, and top evenly with 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Garnish, if desired.
*1 (13-oz.) package three-cheese tortellini may be substituted.
**1 (14.5-oz.) can petite diced tomatoes, fully drained, may be substituted.

Our verdict: This was really good and really simple! I had to make a few substitutions though. I couldn't find the sun-dried tomato alfredo sauce, so I used roasted red pepper alfredo. And I did use a can of petite diced tomatoes. Oh, and I only had red wine on hand, so I used 2 tablespoons of vodka instead of white wine. So basically, I made up a new recipe, ha ha!! I don't usually make things with jars of sauce - but I saw this on Pinterest, and thought it looked yummy. It went together really fast, so it'd be a great one to just keep the stuff on hand for, and if I don't have a lot of time, can throw it together!

Baked Ziti Casserole

Baked Ziti Casserole
Recipe from: Family Feasts for $75 a Week by Mary Ostyn

1 pound uncooked ziti pasta
1 tablespoon butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
4 cups tomato puree or one 28-ounce can
1/3 cup Spaghetti Seasoning Mix (see recipe below)
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350*F. Coat a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish with non tick cooking spray.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.
3. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook stirring frequently, until browned. Add tomato puree and spaghetti seasoning; simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in sour cream.
4. Spread pasta over bottom of prepared casserole dish. Pour sauce over pasta. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake until cheeses melt, 20 to 30 minutes.

Spaghetti Seasoning Mix
makes about 2 cups (or 6 seasoning "packets"
3/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup onion powder
1/4 cup dried parsley
1/4 cup garlic powder
3 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground sage

Place all ingredients in a medium-size container with a tight-fitting lid; shake well until combined. Divide equally among 6 snack-size zip-top plastic bags, or store in the jar and scoop out 1/3 cup for every quart of crushed tomatoes that you use.


Our verdict: This was a great vegetarian dish! We really enjoyed this! I accidentally cooked my pasta a little too long, so it got a bit mushy, but it was still tasty. I also used whole wheat pasta, which might have been part of the reason why it had a different consistency. I use almost exclusively whole wheat pasta. The only change we made was to sprinkle a few red pepper flakes on the top when we ate it - it just added a little kick. I think the next time, I'll add them into the sauce!! I will make this again for sure!!