Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes and Cheese

This is easy, easy, easy. I added a layer of spinach into the original recipe because, you know, veggies are good for you. It's easy to omit the spinach so don't feel like you MUST have it. Also, I use mainly brown rice pasta but again, you can use whatever you damn well please. The sister gives this 5 stars!

Side note: Squeezing the sausage out of the casing is nasty. But you'll get over it, I promise!

Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes and Cheese

Serves 8 very hearty portions

Ingredients:

1lb bag uncooked brown rice spiral noodles

1 pack lean hot turkey Italian sausage (again, the Jenni-O package has about 1.25 lbs)

1 cup chopped onion

2 garlic gloves, minced

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 (14.5oz) cans petite-diced tomatoes (I use no-salt added)

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

4 oz freshly grated skim mozzarella cheese

4oz grated fresh parmesan

1 bag fresh spinach

salt

pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cook pasta, drain and set aside

Remove the casing from the sausage (can can either cut it if you have a VERY sharp knife or you can squeeze it out). Cook the sausage, onion and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Add the tomato paste, salt, pepper and basil and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine cooked pasta and sausage mixture. Coat a 9x13 glass dish with cooking spray and then lay spinach out on the bottom, Place half of the pasta mixture and top with half of the mozzarella and the parmesan. Repeat layers and bake at 350 for 25 or until bubbly.