Rigatoni with Stewed Veggies

Friday night Frog Prince and I were hungry.  We had intended to grill -- but the weather system that brought us a dusting of snow changed our plans.  In an effort to clean out the freezer, I pulled out some frozen spinach, and frozen browned ground Italian turkey sausage.

What started out as a quick spaghetti transitioned to a whole new creation.  I had no idea if it would be any good at all, so I hardly took any photos!

After we took one bite, we knew this recipe would be a keeper.  It's too good not to share.


Rigatoni with Stewed Veggies


1/2 box, rigatoni
1/2 lb. Italian turkey sausage, browned
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 can stewed tomatoes, undrained
8 oz. tomato sauce
1 T minced onion
~2 C spinach
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 C Italian shredded cheeses {parm, mozzarella, provolone}

Begin by warming the browned turkey sausage in a large skillet.  If you don't already have pre-browned turkey sausage in your freezer, brown it in the skillet at this step.  Add in minced onion while you do the browning.

Meanwhile, begin a pot of water to boil and cook the rigatoni until done.  Drain when the pasta is done.

Once warmed, add in the green bell peppers and saute until slightly tender.  Then, add in the stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, spinach, and seasonings.

Simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens up.

Stir in the cooked and drained pasta.

Then, sprinkle the cheese over the top.

Serve warm.  

Linked to: Full Plate Thursday