recipe box Wednesday

Better late than never...

I am busy getting ready for the only holiday boutique I will be participating in this season (look for more details to follow soon).  Last night I wanted a yummy, filling dinner that would have leftovers but wouldn't take forever to make.  I scoured my fridge, freezer, and pantry, and came up with this:

Pasta with Red Peppers and Sausage in a Creamy Sauce

1 lb. pasta (I used orichiette-Charlie's current favorite- little hats!)
1 lb spicy hot Italian Sausage
1 jar marinara sauce (Trader Joe's)
1 jar Roasted Red Pepper Alfredo (Classico)
1 pkg. fresh whole mushrooms, sliced
2 big handfuls fresh spinach
2/3 c. or so diced roasted red peppers (I always keep a jar of them in the cupboard)
garlic (you choose how much)

I got the water going on the stove for the pasta and started browning the sausage.  Once it was done I took it out of the pan to drain, then added a bit of olive oil and a Tbsp. of butter to the pan, then threw in several cloves of minced garlic along with the mushrooms.  Once they were nearly browned I tore up the spinach and threw it in the pan, along with the peppers.  It was so colorful and smelled delish!  I then added the sausage back in, and poured in both jars of sauce.  I let it simmer while the pasta was cooking, once the pasta was done and drained I threw it back in the pasta pot, poured the sauce over, gave it a good toss, then served it with a sprinkle of grated parmesan.  We had some crusty ciabatta bread alongside with oil and balsamic for dunking, and a good bottle of red wine.  Two thumbs up from the men in the house!

What do YOU cook when you want a mostly homemade, satisfying meal but don't have a lot of time for the kitchen?