Recipe: Home-Style Pasta Casserole

Home-Style Pasta Casserole

salt
1/2 pound dried penne pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound Italian sausage, hot or mil
5 ounces (or so) fresh spinach
14 1/2 to 15 oz. canned crushed tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup large-curd cottage cheese
1 cup grated cheddar or provolone cheese, about 4 oz.

Put a large pot of water on to boil. When water boils, add 2 or 3 teaspoons of salt to it. Add penne and cook for 10 minutes.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. If the sausage is in a casing, split casing and scrape the sausage into the pan. Cook sausage 4 or 5 minutes, breaking it up.

Add spinach and cook until wilted. Removed form heat and mix in tomatoes and red pepper flakes.

When the penne is cooked, drain it well and mix it into sausage mixture along with cottage cheese. Scoop into a 2 1/2 quart greased baking dish. Sprinkle grated cheese over top.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Makes 4 servings
Source: Gannett New Service