This is one of those recipes that sprung up out of the pantry one day – I just happened to have penne, veggie “sausage,” canned mushrooms, jarred pasta sauce, and mozzarella shreds on hand, and decided to whip this up sight unseen. Over time it’s become a go-to for us, and a great leftover-producer at that; one pan of this lasts for several meals for both LeeLee and me!
I set some pasta water on to boil, and while that’s working away I get my lasagna pan out and ready to roll. Once the pasta is cooked fully, I drain it and plunk it right into the lasagna pan. Then I add the sausage, which I’ve cut into coins (I like to use Lightlife Italian sausage, but anything goes, as usual), the pasta sauce, and any spices I feel the dish could use (depending on your jarred sauce, you may need lots of garlic/onion powder/basil/oregano/salt/pepper, or none at all – take a taste and see). After stirring to combine everything thoroughly, I top the dish with shredded mozzarella cheese (Daiya would work great for the vegans among us!) and stick the pan in the oven to bake, uncovered, at 350 for 25 minutes or so. At the 25-minute mark, I take a peek to ensure everything is nicely melted and/or browned, and if it is, I take it on out. If not, let it go another 5-10 minutes and check again.
This meal is frugal in so many ways – the initial ingredients are reasonably priced, and the recipe makes enough to last for days. It’s easy and tasty, too – a perfect combination after a long day at work!
The ingredients:
1 package vegetarian sausage links
1 jar pasta sauce
1 can sliced mushrooms
1 box penne pasta
1 bag mozzarella cheese
1 onion if you’re feeling fancy (I wasn’t tonight!)
:)