The following recipe is a riff on my standard baked penne (ziti) dish. For this version, I added in some sauteed garlic and onion along with a healthy portion of cooked chorizo sausage. Adding meat to this dish gives it an extra-hearty flavor, making it an ideal entree for a cold autumn night.
Baked Penne with Chorizo, Onions, and Garlic (printer-friendly version)
makes eight servings
6 cups penne pasta
2 small onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 lb chorizo sausage
1 jar marinara sauce
16 oz non-fat organic cottage cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When the water begins to boil, add in a generous sprinkle of sea salt. Add in the pasta and cook until al dente -- approximately 12 minutes.
3. While the pasta is cooking, heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a large skillet.
4. Saute the minced garlic and chopped onion until softened, about three minutes. Remove from the heat and place the sauteed garlic and onion into a large mixing bowl.
4. Place the skillet back on the heat, add the chorizo to the skillet, and cook until browned.
5. Line a colander with paper toweling and dump the browned sausage into the colander to drain off the excess fat.
6. Place the cooked sausage into the mixing bowl. Stir in half the jar of marinara sauce, cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, and dried oregano.
7. After draining the cooked pasta, pour it into the sausage mixture as well. Stir thoroughly to combine all the ingredients.
8. Pour a small amount of marinara sauce into a 4-quart glass dish with a cover. Carefully spoon in the pasta mixture, adding more cheese and sauce as necessary.
9. Top with any remaining pasta sauce and mozzarella cheese.
10. Place the lid on the baking dish and cook in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese has melted.
11. Remove from the oven and let cool for five minutes before serving.
{onions from Jana and Dan's garden -- thanks!}
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