I’m honored to be a part of the 2014 Kraft Tastemaker Community, where I am teaming up with Kraft Foods to bring you family friendly recipes using common ingredients found in your pantry!
January is usually our hunker down and hibernate month. I’ve never really had the kids signed up for extra activities in the winter, mostly because I really am not fond of getting out in the snow and cold when I don’t have to.
Things have changed this year though. I finally broke down and signed Jacob up for basketball and Kelly up for Volleyball. On top of the new activities, we also have gymnastics, school of religion, choir, 4-H, tutoring and homework. Unexpectedly, my hunker down season has officially become quite busy! Instead of having all the time in the world to cook dinner, my evenings are in tune with the rush of my normal fall and spring months.
In an effort to keep things in check so we are still eating dinner as a family at night, I’ve been turning to some of the more basic recipes that are simple yet turn out great every time. I have to remind myself that the key is that we are eating something great together… it doesn’t have to be fancy or over the top. Simple, delicious and nutritious are the three key ingredients.
Slow cooker meals, soup recipes, casseroles, pasta bakes…these are the foods currently filling my kitchen. Simple, delicious and nutritious… nothing fancy but made at home and eaten together.
This Sicilian Sausage and Peppers Rigatoni recipe from the Kraft Foods website is just the kind of meal that has saved our suppers lately! I hope you enjoy it.
Recipe: Sicilian Sausage and Peppers Rigatoni
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian turkey sausage links cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
- 2 large bell peppers cut into strips
- 3 cups rigatoni pasta uncooked
- 1 jar 24 oz. chunky spaghetti sauce
- 1 cup KRAFT Shredded Italian* Low-Moisture Mozzarella-Parmesan Cheese Blend
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375°F.
- Place sausage and peppers in 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.
- Bake 15 to 20 min. or until sausage is done. Meanwhile, cook pasta as directed on package, omitting salt.
- Drain pasta. Add to baking dish along with the spaghetti sauce; stir. Bake 15 to 20 min. or until heated through. Top with cheese; bake 2 to 3 min. or until melted.
Notes
Disclosure: I’m proud to be a compensated brand ambassador for Kraft Foods. All opinions expressed are my own.
I love the word hunker – conjures up such a great visual! And this pasta. OHMIGOSH. I could hunker right down into the bowl I think!
New routines are good but I like to hibernate too. 🙂 I love this pasta!!
I am in hibernation mode right now. I kind of love it!
This pasta is perfect. So cozy!
You can’t go wrong with pasta for family style. This really looks good and I know my bunch would love it!
The recipe sounds wonderful. And simple is good. It’s usually the only thing most of us can handle in our everyday lives!
This is comfort in a bowl and topped with sausage and cheese, and I am lovin’ the sound of that!
Simple meals can sometimes be the best and this looks like one of those!
I don’t know about you, Kristen, but if I poll my family about what they want for dinner, they almost always request the oldies but goodies – like this simple but yummy recipe. Comfort food shared with family can’t be beat!
All I want to do is hibernate. But things are just getting busier and busier! Love this pasta dish! Easy but bound to be a hit!
This looks so delicious and so easy!! My kind of dinner 😀 We will be trying this!
I’ve totally been hibernating all month. It’s too darn cold!! Love this delicious looking pasta dish!
I am soooo in hibernation mode because I just had a baby. Things are all dependent upon him at the moment right now, so I love meals like this!
Oh.. yeah for volleyball! I hope she likes it! 🙂
This dish looks divine, love sausage and peppers together, add in the pasta and you got a winning dish! YUM, pinned!
I have been in hiberation mood for the past…forever. It’s time to break out but dangit, I’m comfy!
This pasta looks AWESOME, Kristen! My sister and I (both self-proclaimed pasta fanatics) could easily scarf this down in front of our favorite TV show 🙂
Oh my Kristen. Love this. I am a pasta lover and I make a special one every couple weeks. This looks amazing with the peppers. A for sure must make in my house. Yum!
January is definitely my hibernation month, also and this recipe looks right up my alley! Comfort food at its finest… beautiful!
Eating dinner altogether definitely becomes a challenge (but still a priority) for us when the schedule gets tight. This rigatoni would be the perfect thing to whip up on those busy nights!
Looks yummy and great for a cold winter night. Love Kraft recipes!
You got that right with hibernation! This looks fantastic!
I really want to try this recipe but in the uk, we don’t have the kraft cheese blend over here. Can you advise an alternative please?
Thanks!
Absolutely – you could just use shredded Mozzarella Cheese and it would work just fine! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Excellent thank you. I thought as much, but thought I’d check first.
All on the shopping list now. Look forward to trying it.