Easy Pasta Night

I’m noticing that since we made the decision to move and have put the house up for sale, that “easy” has been my go to word for a lot of things.

It’s weird when your house is up for sale because you feel like you can’t do anything that takes a lot of time, makes a big mess, or makes your house smell weird. After all, the goal is to get someone to think they need our house more than another one, and as fast as possible. Add to that the hours spent on the internet looking for houses in areas of the United States that I’ve never even been…that makes for a tad bit of stress and yes, we are really tired. My husband has to do extensive traveling for work and I hold down the fort here, handle the details, and take care of the dogs. So when it comes to meals lately, “easy” it is!

Chicken & Italian Sausage Pasta Bake

You can find the french bread baguette recipe here.

*Makes a 9×11 dish of pasta, pre-heat oven to 375 degrees

1/2 lb. Ground Italian Sausage (a lot of sausage is made with dairy & gluten, make sure you check)

2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, sliced or cubed

A Good Shake of Red Pepper Flakes

Olive Oil

4 Cloves of Garlic, minced

About 4-5 Tablespoons Fresh Basil, chopped

About 3 Tablespoons Fresh Oregano, chopped

About 6 Cremini Mushrooms, sliced

1 – 14.5 oz Can of Fire Roasted Tomatoes

1 – 6 oz Can of Tomato Paste

About 20 oz Of Your Favorite Pasta Sauce (I used Newman’s Marinara)

About 3/4 of a bag of Gluten Free Spiral Pasta, cooked just before aldente (mine called for 15 minutes of cooking time and I cooked it for 10-12)

Daiya Dairy Free Mozzarella Style Cheese

Galaxy Foods Dairy Free Parmesan

Drizzle a large saute pan generously with olive oil. Add the sausage, chicken, and pepper flakes. Saute until just done.

Add the garlic, basil, oregano, mushrooms, and saute until garlic is beginning to brown. Add the fire roasted tomatoes and the tomato paste. Stir well and simmer for 5 minutes.

Spoon the pasta into an oiled 9×11 pan. Add the contents of the saute pan, and the tomato sauce and fold to combine.

Taste for seasoning. I added a couple of teaspoons of dried oregano. Sprinkle generously with dairy free parmesan, and spread a handful of the dairy free mozzarella over the top.

Spray a piece of foil with non-stick spray and cover tightly. Bake for 25 minutes, remove foil and broil for 5-8 minutes or until cheese is bubbling.

Serve with gluten-free french bread and dairy free butter.