Pasta Primavera Ala Beverly

This meal is brought to you by the real cook at Almost Heaven South, my adorable wife and soul mate, Bev.  I don't think this dish is really pasta primavera and it's probably more accurate to call it baked pasta topped with vegetables but I like the name.  We had a partial jar of marinara and some leftover vodka sauce from our ravioli meal, and some veggies that she wanted to stir fry and she turned it into a delicious meal. 

1 1/2 jars sauce - mix of the two
1 lb shaped pasta - penne rigate for this meal
1 lb Italian sausage, sliced and fried
1/2 lb Ricotta cheese
1 cup or so of shreaded mozzarella cheese

She cooked the penne pasta at dente, and made a baked dish as follows:

Mix the sauces together and then toss with the pasta and sausage.

Add half the pasta mix to a greased 9"x9" dish, spread the ricotta over the pasta, and add the remaining pasta. 

Cover and bake at 375* for 40 minutes or until bubbly.

Remove foil cover, top with cheese, and bake until cheese is melted.

While it was baking, she sautéed some broccoli, peppers, grape tomatoes, zucchini, and olives in olive oil and when all was done she plated the pasta then topped with the veggies and some grated parmesan.

I thought it was outstanding and would never have thought of adding veggies to a baked pasta dish, but will from now on.  A while back, we began using Dreamfields pasta and really like it - it has less digestable carbs than regular pasta.

I usually don’t have a fire unless the temperature is in the 40’s, but daughter, Wende, came down and it was dreary and wintery looking outside so I built an evening one.  There was a brief period when it was almost the perfect looking fire.  I should have opened the screen, but forgot.

All photos can be enlarged by clicking on them.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

One year ago:  A Hearty Breakfast For The Man Of The House

Two years ago:  Welcome To Our Pet World

Larry