Deep Dish Pasta Bake

 

My favorite thing about this dish is that you only use 1/2 lb of meat and you never, ever miss any of the volume! Get creative with this - if you like it on your pizza, I bet it would be a delicious addition!

Ingredients
1/2 lb ground meat
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced bell pepper
1 cup chopped spinach (I throw in half a bag of frozen)
4 oz cream cheese
1 jar Red Sauce ( I recommend Ragu Sauteed Onion and Garlic)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon italian season
1 can diced black olives, drained (optional)
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)

2 cups Mozzarella Cheese

1 box "piece-y" pasta (bow tie, penne, etc)

Boil pasta, set aside. In a pan, brown meat with onion, bell pepper and spinach (add in olives and mushrooms if using) until brown. Add sauce, seasoning and cream cheese, stirring just until heated through. In a large bowl, combine pasta, sauce mixture and 1 cup cheese, stir well. Pour into a 13x9 baking dish and top with remaing cup of cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Serve with a salad or steamed vegetable and enjoy!