Cheesy Sausage and Tomato Shells

This is one busy week! Full time hours at the bakery, kindergarten open house for my son, my daughter will be turning TWO on Thursday followed by her 2 year doctor appointment, swim lessons, and then the week will end with my family coming to town to celebrate my daughter's birthday! It's going to be a fun week but I didn't want to have to worry too much about meal planning so I made this yummy pasta dish yesterday. It makes a huge meal (plenty for either lots of leftovers or even some for freezing). It was really good and my whole family cleaned their plates!




Cheesy Sausage and Tomato Shells
Source: Jamie Cooks It Up!

1 (16 oz) box elbow macaroni or medium shell pasta
1 green pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 T. olive oil 
1 lb. sausage
2 (14.5 oz.) cans Italian Stewed Tomatoes
1 t. cumin
1 t. basil, dried
1 t. oregano, dried
salt and pepper
2-3 c. cheddar cheese, grated
  
Bring a medium sized pot of water to a boil. Salt it well, and pour in your dried pasta. Cook it according to package directions. Don't let it get over cooked. Al dente is the texture you are looking for. Once the pasta is cooked pour the contents of the pot into a strainer resting nicely in your sink. Pour warm water over the top of the pasta and let it hang out there for a bit. 

While you pasta cooks, chop up one green pepper, one onion and 4 cloves of garlic.  Heat up a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 T of olive oil to the pan.  Add the chopped veggies and cook them until the onions are translucent.  Add the sausage and cook until browned. 


Open up 2 cans of Italian Stewed Tomatoes and pour the contents into a medium sized bowl. Stick some kitchen scissors into the bowl and cut the tomatoes up into large chunks. Pour the chopped up tomatoes into the skillet with the sausage and veggies. Add 1 teaspoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon dried basil and 1 teaspoon dried oregano. Sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper over the top and give it all a nice stir to combine. 


Pour the cooked pasta into the skillet and stir it into the tomato mixture. Spray a 9x13 with cooking spray and pour the pasta/tomato mixture of bliss into it. Sprinkle it with grated cheddar cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until the cheese is lightly browned and bubbly.