baked pasta

there is nothing quite as comforting as pasta. it's cheap! it's easy! it's tasty!

this is an easy, straightforward baked pasta recipe. feel free to make substitutions, use what you love!

ingredients:

2 c pasta (dry) - i used penne

1 italian style tofurky sausage* chopped into small cubes

2 c chopped spinach

4 c chopped veggies (i used broccoli, asparagus and mushrooms, but use what you like/have)

2 c mozzarella or cheddar cheese - grated or cut in small cubes

3 c tomato sauce (i added 2 T garlic to mine, and chopped fresh herbs - 1/4 c of basil or oregano would go well)

2 c additional grated cheddar or mozzarella cheese

*you can buy these at health food stores, or at the superstore/independant/loblaws in the organic section. i like the italian flavour because they're quite spicy and add a lot to the dish. but,  you could certainly use other "meat". ideas: one chopped PC fake chicken breast, 2 c yves or PC "ground beef", 2 c chopped herbed tofu, or (gasp!) real meat!!

to make:

boil pasta in salted water until it's cooked. drain.

in the mean time, stir fry or steam veggies until the greens are nice and bright, and a bit soft. if you have a good quality non-stick pan, you don't need to use oil for frying. i fried mine about 10 minutes.

have your spinach, tofurky, cheese, sauce, pasta and veggies all ready to go!

once the pasta is cooked, mix pasta, sausage, spinach, veggies, cheese and sauce. add extra sauce if needed to coat.

pour everything into a lasagna or similar dish.

and top with additional cheese, if you like! (matt's with cheese, mine without)

bake at 400 for 30-45 minutes, until the top is crispy!