SAUSAGE AND ROASTED PEPPERS PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Cook noodles in salted, boiling water, about 8 minutes. Be sure to slightly undercook noodles. Drain and set aside.
• Make tomato meat sauce: saute chopped onion for 5 minutes; add mushrooms and garlic, saute another 5 minutes. To onion mixture, add crumbled sausage and saute until sausage is no longer pink. Add tomato paste to sausage mixture, saute 1 minute. Add spaghetti sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, basil and 1 teaspoon garlic powder. Cook sauce at least 20 minutes.
• Roast the pepper medley: Using a broiler, char peppers (jalapenos, poblanos, red and yellow peppers) on all sides, about 5 minutes per side. When skins have blackened, place peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow peppers to steam and cool. When cool enough to handle, remove skins from the peppers (skins should peel off easily with a paper towel or your hands). Remove stems, seed and chop peppers. Mix chopped peppers together in a bowl and set aside.
• Prepare cheese layer: In a bowl, combine softened cream cheese, flavored cheese wedges, sour cream, parsley, spinach and 1/2 cup of mozarella cheese. Stir in 1 teaspoon each salt and garlic powder.
• In a 9 x 13 inch pan, layer 1/3 of meat sauce, 1/2 of the noodles, all of the peppers and all of the cream cheese mixture. Top with 1/3 of meat sauce, 1/2 of the noodles. Cover the noodles with the remaining 1/3 of meat sauce and the remaining 1 1/2 cups of mozarella cheese. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of grated parmesan.
• Bake at 375 for 55 minutes for a very well-done cheesy crust.
• Let sit for 10-15 minutes prior to serving. Makes 8-12 servings.