Skillet Lasagne

My cooking frenzy was cut a bit short this weekend.  Today we went for a LONG HIKE which lasted nearly 3 1/2 hours.  We worked up a hearty appetite along the way.  I was glad I had the ingredients on hand for this one pot meal.  Here's the recipe:

SKILLET LASAGNE

Ingredients:

1 pound bulk Italian sausage (hot or sweet)

1/2 red onion, diced

1 jar pasta sauce (24 ounces) *

3 cups (24 ounces) water

8 ounces medium-sized uncooked pasta
(ie. rotini or medium shells)

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

3/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Grated cheese (mozzarella or pepper jack)

Garnish: chopped flat leaf Italian parsley

* I use Bertolli Organic Tomato & Basil Sauce

Directions:
In a large pot, cook onion and sausage, breaking the sausage into small bits as it browns; cook until no pink remains in sausage and onions are translucent.  Drain oil from sausage and onions and return to pot.

Add the pasta sauce to the sausage in the pot. Fill the pasta sauce jar with water and add the water to pot.  Add remaining ingredients to the pot (except cheese and parsley).  Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover with a lid, and cook until pasta is al dente (about 20 to 25 minutes).  Top with grated cheese and chopped parsley.

I have not made this meal in a really long time. It's one of those recipes I made too many times in a row, that we kind of got tired of it... but this easy one-pot recipe is a keeper!  Today I made the dish with mild Italian sausage, pepper jack cheese, and rotini pasta.  We also enjoy it with hot Italian sausage, medium-sized shell shaped pasta, and mozzarella cheese.  You can also add mushroom and bell peppers when you cook the sausage and onions.  Adapted from a recipe in Betty Crocker Cookbook.  Enjoy!