Baked Pasta with Sausage and Vegetables

Please forgive me for the abundance of sausage recipes lately. I've had a thing for home-y comforting food involving sausage, and this one is just the ticket if you're looking a warm, friendly dish to serve the masses.

You also won't find an easier pasta dish than this one...other than maybe spaghetti and sauce. Toss everything in a bowl together, stir, bake and serve. Total prep time is probably less than 15 minutes.

This recipe calls for frozen artichokes- I found them to be a little lacking in flavor; I think I'll try canned artichokes next time. Either way, it was delicious and made a ton- we ended up with one heaping 9 x 13 pan and a small 8 x 8. I should have invited you over.

Baked Pasta with Sausage and Vegetables
Recipe adapted from Wegman's Menu
Pictures by Kelly

1 box (16 oz) spiral pasta, cooked and drained
2 jars spaghetti sauce
3/4 pound sausage
12 oz frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
1 bag (about 12 oz) spinach, chopped
1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch pan. 
2. In a large skillet, cook sausage until no longer pink. Add artichokes and spinach; cover and cook about 5 minutes, until spinach is slightly wilted.
3. In a large bowl, toss pasta, sausage, artichokes, spinach, and ricotta until well combined. Add sauce until you reach your desired consistency (I used about a jar a 3/4). 
4. Pour pasta mixture into pan. Sprinkle with cheese and cover with foil. Bake about 45 minutes, remove foil, and bake another 10 minutes until cheese is lightly browned.