Zesty Italian Skillet

Let me start this off by saying, "I absolutely LOVE having a garden!" I feel so blessed to be able to make dishes like this one, as well as so many others, mostly from the foods that we produce right here at the house. I know that not everyone has access to a lot of land, but if you can, you should really try to find a way to at least do a small container garden. It can truly be so rewarding! Not to mention, you know exactly what chemicals are, or more importantly, are not in your family's food. 

Well, enough of that. Let's talk about this dish. It is not only beautiful, but it tastes amazing! I have made similar recipes using tomato, onion, and zucchini before, and they were good - but the addition of the sausage just puts this one over the top! Not to mention, it only takes around 30 minutes to make. Can Supper get any better?   

 Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 - 16 oz package Garden (Tri-Colored) Rotini
• 1 - 16 oz roll Ground Pork Sausage
• 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 tsp Garlic Salt
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 1 large Onion, diced
• 2 cups chunky diced Zucchini
• 2 cups bite-sized tomatoes, cut in half
• 1 1/2 cups (or 1 - 11.5 oz can) Spicy V8
• 2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese or Italian Cheese Blend

Method:

In a medium saucepan, cook the pasta according to the package directions. I like to salt the water a little bit while it cooks. When it's done, drain the water and sit the Rotini to the side.

In a LARGE skillet, brown the sausage over medium-high heat. Add in the Italian seasoning, garlic salt, and black pepper as it cooks. Once the sausage is browned off (do not drain), add the diced onion and stir occasionally until translucent. Now, add the V8 and Zucchini. Give it a stir, and put a lid on it. Reduce heat to Low-Medium and cook for about 10-12 minutes, stirring every now and then, until zucchini is tender. Add the tomatoes and cook for only 5 - 7 minutes more. You want to heat them up, but not cook them, or their skins will start to come off... (blechk)

Add additional seasoning if desired, and stir back in the cooked and drained Rotini. * Tip - Run the noodles under warm water to loosen them back up & make them easier to work with. 

Sprinkle the top with the shredded cheese and put the lid back on, but be careful not to touch the cheese with the lid. Check often, when the cheese is melted you are ready to go. 

Remove from the heat and let it sit for a minute, to allow the cheese to set up a bit, before serving. (I didn't have my patient panties on, so the cheese dripped right through everything & is hard to see in the pictures. Still just as tasty, just not a pretty) 

Serve with a nice cheesy garlic bread and Viola... 

Dinner is served!        

Enjoy!