Spinach Lasagne

I'm still debating on whether this needs more cheese, but my husband really liked it.

6 Barilla No-Boil Lasagne noodles (these fit perfectly in an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 dish)
1/2 lb sweet or mild Italian sausage, casings removed
1 can (14 1/2 oz) stewed tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1 cup small curd cottage cheese
1 (8 oz) package shredded mozzarella cheese (2 cups)
3 Tbsp Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 dish. Crumble and brown sausage in skillet; drain. Meanwhile, pour stewed tomatoes into a blender or small food processor and blend until fairly smooth and there are no large chunks; set aside. In a small bowl, mix cottage cheese with spinach. Assemble lasagne layers as follows: 1) cover bottom of dish with two lasagne noodles, 2) pour 1/3 of the stewed tomato puree evenly over noodles, 3) sprinkle 1/3 of the sausage, 4) spread 1/3 of the spinach mixture, 5) sprinkle 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese, 6) sprinkle 1 Tbsp of Parmesan cheese. Repeat two more times for three layers total of each. Cover and bake 40 minutes. Remove cover and bake another 5 minutes. Let stand 10-15 minutes before cutting.

Italian Pork Chops

This is good. Like fancy Italian restaurant good. Serve it over angel hair pasta (the sauce is thin) and top with Parmesan cheese.

4 thick cut pork chops (about an inch thick)
garlic salt
pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 lb sweet Italian sausage (casings removed)
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry red wine (I use Pinot Noir)
8 oz can tomato sauce
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Season pork chops with garlic salt and pepper. In a large frying pan, brown chops well in olive oil. Remove chops from pan and place in baking dish and set aside. Crumble sausage in same pan and mix in onions. Cook until sausage is done, then stir in garlic, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, and wine and cook on medium low heat for a couple of minutes. Remove pan from heat and spoon sausage mixture over pork chops. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.

Rigatoni with Sausage and Peas

I made this skillet supper tonight and it's definitely a keeper!

8 oz rigatoni pasta
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 lb sweet Italian sausage (casings removed)
6 oz frozen sweet peas
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp butter
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp garlic salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/3 cup grated Romano cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil and saute garlic over medium heat for a minute or two. Add sausage; once sausage is cooked and crumbled, add frozen peas and saute for about 5 minutes. Slowly stir in heavy cream, butter, seasonings, and Parmesan cheese. Cook for about 5 minutes on medium-low heat (or until pasta is done and sauce has thickened a bit). Toss with cooked pasta and top with Romano cheese. Serves 4.

You can view the original recipe here.