The idea for this pasta dish came from making pizzas. I decided to try making a "pizza" with pasta as the crust. I then layered my pizza sauce, chicken sausage and cheese on top. The end result is now a pasta casserole dish that disguises spinach, tomatoes and other healthy ingredients!
Ingredients
1 pound of pasta, such as penne
5-6 fresh tomatoes (Roma is a good option) or 1 28 oz. can of whole plum tomatoes
1 Tbsp oregano
¼ tsp salt, to taste
1 tsp sugar
½ - 1 tsp garlic powder, optional
1 pound chicken or turkey sausage, homemade or store-bought
1½ - 2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2-3 cups coarsely chopped spinach
Instructions
Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package.
Cut off the tops of the tomatoes and discard the tops.
Chop the tomatoes and mix the tomatoes with the seasonings, using all of the tomato juice from the can.
Mash the tomatoes until they reach your desired consistency.
If your kids will not eat chunks of tomato, blend the sauce until smooth.
Cook the chicken sausage and drain off any excess liquid.
Mix the cooked pasta, cooked chicken sausage, tomato sauce, 1 cup mozzarella cheese and chopped spinach in a large casserole pan.
Cover with additional mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
Sprinkle with oregano.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden and the cheese is beginning to bubble.
Recipe by Itsy Bitsy Foodies at http://itsybitsyfoodies.com/pizza-pasta/