Penne with Pesto and Italian Sausage

I love creating dishes using the ingredients I already have on hand, and most all the time I have whole grain pasta, pesto and frozen Italian sausages in the kitchen. So that's what I used for this easy dish. Use what you have and be creative with your next pasta dish!

Ingredients:

1/2 pound whole grain penne pasta, cooked according to package directions

3/4 cup cheese pasta sauce, warmed either in the microwave or in a saucepan over low heat (I use a Bertolli four-cheese pasta sauce)

2 tablespoons store-bought basil pesto

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (in oil), sliced

2 hot Italian sausage links, cooked according to package directions and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces

1. Prepare sausages first, since they take the longest to cook. Then bring water to a boil in a large saucepan about 10 minutes before sausage is finished and cook pasta. Lastly prepare cheese sauce just before pasta is finished cooking.

2. After preparing ingredients as directed above, toss everything in a serving bowl. Serve with crusty bread on the side. Enjoy!

Pesto Pizza

You won't miss the sauce when you bite into this easy-to-make pizza. The pesto lends a ton of flavor to the crust.

Ingredients:

1 can refrigerated pizza dough

3 tablespoons store-bought basil pesto

pinch of red pepper flakes

pinch of garlic powder

2 cups fresh mozzarella cheese (either sliced thin or shredded)

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup peperoncini, sliced

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (in oil), sliced

salt and pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Press out the pizza dough with your fingertips onto a pizza stone or a large baking sheet.

2. Spread the pesto onto the crust evenly, just as you would pizza sauce. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes and garlic powder.

3. Top with mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Next, top with peperoncini and sun-dried tomatoes, or your favorite toppings. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Bake pizza for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly and crust is golden brown. Remove from oven, slice and enjoy!