Sausage and Spinach Baked Pasta

This is the only casserole in my cooking repertoire. I make it when I don't want to mess around. It's easy and quick to make, and everyone always likes it, no whining for PBJs two hours later. It's based very loosely on a casserole I grew up eating and loving that my Mom and her Mom called Tyrolean Casserole. It's comfort food to me and mine.

Sausage and Spinach Baked Pasta

Ingredients:

1 lb. any Tubular Pasta, I use Archer Farm's Rigatoni

1 jar Archer Farm's Pomadora Sauce, or your favorite jarred pasta sauce

6 links Mild Italian Sausage

1 block Cream Cheese

1 small container Cottage Cheese

4 large handfuls of Fresh Spinach (or 1 small grocery store bag)

Parmesan or Pecorino Romano

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation Instructions:

Brown sausage until nice and carmelized, and add pasta sauce. Stir and turn off heat. Prepare pasta according to package instructions, keeping pasta al dente. Drain but do not rinse. Immediately add pasta back to pot and add cream cheese and cottage cheese. Stir until pasta is creamy and coated thoroughly.

In a medium to large casserole dish, spoon the sausage sauce over the bottom just until it's covered. Add a layer of creamy pasta, followed by two large handfuls of spinach and a good handful or shaving of cheese. Keep layering until you run out of ingredients. I usually end with pasta or sauce, either will work. Bake, covered, in a 350* oven for 35-45 minutes or until bubbly.

(Sometimes I add fresh garlic or basil from my Summer herb garden)