orzo with sausage, peppers, and tomatoes

i had some sweet italian turkey sausage in the fridge to cook up and was a little burnt out on tomato sauce/traditional pasta flavors. then, i remembered we had some orzo and was determined to find a recipe for this combination. this is what i found. and i had 90% of the ingredients on hand. i only had to buy fresh tomatoes and parsley. it's a winner!

makes 4-6 servings

• 3 c chicken broth
• 1 lb orzo pasta (1 box)
• 2 Tb olive oil
• 1 package mild Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 jarred roasted red bell peppers, cut into 1/4-inch strips
• 2 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 Tb chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. boil chicken broth and some water in lg saucepan. add orzo when boiling and cook according to package (~10minutes)

2. while pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in lg skillet over med-high heat. add turkey sausage and saute until cooked (~4minutes).

3. then add garlic, cook 1 minute.

4. finally add peppers, tomatoes, and red pepper flakes and cook for another 2 minutes.

5. add drained pasta and sausage mixture in large serving bowl.

6. add salt pepper and parsley. mix well.

7. add parmesan cheese and a little more parsley to top.

Sausage and Provolone Penne Bake

This is from Cooking light, but i think it depends on what type of sausage and pasta you use...

1 lb uncooked penne pasta (the Barilla fortified is great)
1 T olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
3/4 chopped red bell pepper
1 (12oz) package sausage (turkey/chicken) halved and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 T tomato paste
1 T balsamic vinegar
1/2 t salt
1/4 t dried oregano
1/4 t crushed red pepper
3 (14.5oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
cooking spray
1 cup (4oz) shredded sharp provolone or mozzarella cheese
1 cup (4oz) grated fresh parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.
2. Preheat oven to 350
3. Heat olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, sausage, and garlic; saute 5 minutes or until sausage is browned.
4. Add tomato paste and next 5 ingredients (through diced tomatoes); cover.
5. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.
6. Combine pasta and tomato mixture and spoon into 13x9 baking dish coated with cooking spray.
7. Sprinkle with cheeses and bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until bubbly.