Easy Mac and Cheese Variation
Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried pasta shells, medium size
- ½ head broccoli, cut into florets
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 1 hot Italian turkey sausage, or raw turkey chorizo sausage, casing removed
- 1 tbsp. roughly chopped fresh oregano, chopped
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1 zucchini, diced
- 8 canned plum tomatoes, chopped
- Coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
- 1 ½ cups grated mozzarella
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, for top
- Butter, for buttering baking dish
- Handful of fresh herbs such as basil or flat leaf parsley, to finish
Method
- Cook shells in boiling, salted water according to package directions. Blanch broccoli in pasta water during last minute of cooking.
- Meanwhile, sauté onion in olive oil in a large skillet for 3 to 4 minutes until soft. Add the garlic, sausage and oregano. Brown sausage meat until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the red pepper and zucchini and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomato and continue to cook, another 10 to 15 minutes.
- Preheat broiler on high. Butter a medium baking dish.
- Drain pasta and toss with sausage mixture. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese. Transfer to prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with ½ cup grated mozzarella and 2 tbsp. parmesan cheese. Place under broiler until cheese is golden brown and bubbly, about 3 to 4 minutes (depends on heat of broiler). Makes 4 to 6 servings, depending on appetite.