First let me disclose that I love anything that has feta cheese as an ingredient. There is just something about that salty, crumbled cheese that hits me just right. So I was excited about this casserole that used not only one of my favorite cheeses but also gave me a good place to use that beautiful zucchini from the farmer’s market. I really loved this dish – it has a rich and satisfying flavor, and it was even better the next day for lunch. It’s great comfort food after a long day. The recipe is easy, and it comes together fairly quickly. To save even more time after work, you could cook and assemble all the ingredients the night before and refrigerate, then pop it into the oven when you get home.
Penne with Sausage, Zucchini, and Feta
2 1/2 cups cooked penne pasta
8 ounces Italian Sausage (hot or mild), casings removed
5 cups zucchini, chopped into quarters, then sliced
1 small white onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup feta cheese, divided
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cook pasta, drain, and return to pot. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Crumble sausage and add to pan: cook until browned. Remove and set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in the same skillet over medium high heat. Add zucchini, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook 8 minutes. Meanwhile, combine broth and flour in a small bowl and stir with a whisk until combined.
Add broth mixture to pan and cook 2 minutes. Combine pasta, zucchini mixture, and 3/4 cup feta in the pasta pot and stir well.
Spray an 11×17 casserole dish with cooking spray. Spoon pasta mixture into dish, sprinkle with mozzarella and remaining feta.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
adapted from Cooking Light
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