This recipe is SO good, I can’t wait to make it again. I found it in the recent Wegman’s magazine (if you don’t have Wegman’s in your area, its an amazing grocery store, and I am truly sorry you don’t). Each quarter they mail out this wonderful full-color magazine filled with fabulous food ideas, cross-referenced with how to find the ingredients, or even buy it ready-made, in the store. Seriously, people “field trip” to Wegman’s just for the experience, and I am a huge fan.
Since I have recently made a vow to help my family eat better–both healthier (its been a long winter of comfort food) and more carefully (we are seeing great success having undertaken a modified diet for my formerly hyperactive daughter, and I will post on this soon.) this recipe totally fit the bill. And, oh yeah, it has pasta and goat cheese…two of my favorite foods, and power foods like spinach, tomatoes and red pepper.
If all that isn’t enough, its super easy to make and my picky family ate it. Truly its a keeper. Here is the Recipe. {sorry no “Pioneer Woman-esque” Step-By-Step Tutorial…Its really too easy to need it} or here it is direct from Wegman’s.
Baked Pasta with Sweet Pepper, Spinach & Arugula
1 package (16oz) Super Pasta (the healthy kind) Penne, Rotini etc.
8 oz Red/Yellow Pepper Strips (available in Wegman’s from their Olive Bar) NOTE: I actually used jarred Roasted Red Pepper, but next time I would buy Red & Yellow Peppers fresh, chop them up and add them instead, as the jarred peppers have an overpowering flavor.
4 oz Yellow Roasted Tomatoes (again, from the Wegman’s Olive Bar), however fresh chopped up tomatoes would be fine, or jarred/canned, or you can even omit.
1 package or jar Cream Sauce, in this case I used Wegman’s Parmesan Cream sauce, any jarred alfredo (in the healthy eating spirit I recommend a light version) would work fine here.
1/2 t crushed red pepper
1 package spinach/argula (packaged salad greens) Blend NOTE: I used half a bag of fresh spinach, just threw it in (though I might chop it first if you have picky eaters to hide it better) I didn’t use any argula as I forgot to buy it.
3/4 a package goat cheese crumbles (I cut up a log and used the whole thing!)
1 c cold water.
Cook pasta to slightly less then package directions. Rinse in cold water to stop cooking.
Combine pasta, peppers, tomatoes, the red and white sauces, spinach, water and 2/3 of the goat cheese in a very large bowl. Stir well to combine.
Spray a casserole pan w/ nonstick cooking spray, add mixture to pan. Cover with parchment paper directly on the sauce mixture. Then cover with foil.
Bake for 50 minutes, remove foil and paper, sprinkle with remaining goat cheese and return to oven. Cook 20 minutes more, until bubbling at edges.
Enjoy!
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