Sausage and Roasted Peppers Pasta Bake

This layered pasta dish combines the wonderful zest of sausage with a heathly roasted pepper medley. Using added vegi's allows you to use less pasta and sausage. If you don't like spicy foods, substitute green or other colored bell peppers for the jalapeno and poblano peppers.

• Ready In: 1 hr 40 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 3 1⁄3 cups  uncooked ziti pasta noodles (about 5 servings)
• 1⁄2 lb  crumbled sausage (I used 3 Johnsonville HOT sausage brats, casings removed)
• 1 (6 ounce) can  sliced mushrooms, drained
• 1  medium onion, chopped
• 3  garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 (26 1/2ounce) can  hunts traditional  spaghetti sauce (or your favorite tomato-based sauce)
• 2  teaspoons salt, divided
• 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
• 1  teaspoon dried oregano
• 1  teaspoon dried thyme
• 1  teaspoon dried basil
• 2  teaspoons garlic powder, divided
• 2  jalapeno peppers
• 2  poblano peppers
• 1  medium  red pepper
• 1  medium  yellow pepper
• 4  ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1⁄2 cup sour cream
• 2  wedges of the  Laughing Cow cheese, light french onion flavor
• 1⁄2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1⁄2 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 2  cups  shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1⁄2 cup  grated parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cook noodles in salted, boiling water, about 8 minutes. Be sure to slightly undercook noodles. Drain and set aside.
3. Make tomato meat sauce: saute chopped onion for 5 minutes; add mushrooms and garlic, saute another 5 minutes. To onion mixture, add crumbled sausage and saute until sausage is no longer pink. Add tomato paste to sausage mixture, saute 1 minute. Add spaghetti sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, basil and 1 teaspoon garlic powder. Cook sauce at least 20 minutes.
4. Roast the pepper medley: Using a broiler, char peppers (jalapenos, poblanos, red and yellow peppers) on all sides, about 5 minutes per side. When skins have blackened, place peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow peppers to steam and cool. When cool enough to handle, remove skins from the peppers (skins should peel off easily with a paper towel or your hands). Remove stems, seed and chop peppers. Mix chopped peppers together in a bowl and set aside.
5. Prepare cheese layer: In a bowl, combine softened cream cheese, flavored cheese wedges, sour cream, parsley, spinach and 1/2 cup of mozarella cheese. Stir in 1 teaspoon each salt and garlic powder.
6. In a 9 x 13 inch pan, layer 1/3 of meat sauce, 1/2 of the noodles, all of the peppers and all of the cream cheese mixture. Top with 1/3 of meat sauce, 1/2 of the noodles. Cover the noodles with the remaining 1/3 of meat sauce and the remaining 1 1/2 cups of mozarella cheese. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of grated parmesan.
7. Bake at 375 for 55 minutes for a very well-done cheesy crust.
8. Let sit for 10-15 minutes prior to serving. Makes 8-12 servings.