yummy dinner recipe...

i made this for dinner the other night. the boyfriend said it was the best dinner i've ever cooked, that's a mega compliment coming from him, so i thought i'd share it with you too. it's from cooking light cookbook, my best friend got me a subscription to the magazine for christmas this year and i love it.

i did make a few substitutions to work with what i already had...i used turkey sausage instead of chicken sausage, shredded mozzarella instead of provolone and mixed it all in rather than just on top, and i sliced up fresh mozzarella and layered it across the top instead...delish!

chicken sausage penne bake

ingredients:

• 1 pound uncooked penne (tube-shaped pasta)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1 (12-ounce) package sweet basil and pine nut chicken sausage (such as Gerhard's), halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 3 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
• Cooking spray
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp provolone cheese
• 1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

preparation:

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, sausage, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until sausage is browned. Add tomato paste and next 5 ingredients (through diced tomatoes); cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.

Combine pasta and tomato mixture; spoon into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with cheeses. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until bubbly.