Here is the second baked pasta dish I made over the weekend (you can find the first one here). This one is more traditional, being that it uses sauteed onions, garlic and peppers. I made this one especially for the omnivores in the crowd, although I used turkey sausage instead of pork to keep the amount of fat a little lower. Especially since it used three different kinds of cheese.

The thing to remember about recipes like these is that you should feel free to make them your own. If you don't like peppers, leave them out. If you've got a friend who is allergic to ricotta cheese, use cottage or farmer's cheese instead. Feel like using three different kinds of cheese is sort of excessive? Cut out the parmesan. It's a technique more than an exact recipe and you can bend and shape it to your tastes. Pasta Bake
1 pound of pasta, cooked al dente (I typically use whole wheat penne)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red pepper, roughly chopped
1 green pepper, roughly chopped
1 pound cooked, crumbled Italian turkey sausage (optional)
2 large cans of whole tomatoes
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 container ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon dried oregano
pinch red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
1 pound grated mozzarella cheese

Saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil in your largest skillet or saucepan. Cook for 2-3 minutes and then add the peppers. When they've softened, add the tomatoes, crushing each one with your hands before adding (this gives you a nice variety of tomato textures). Do not add juice, as that will make the sauce too loose. Add spices and cooked turkey sausage (if using) and stir to combine.

What I tend to do at this point is take the empty pot that the pasta had cooked in (pasta should be sitting in a colander in the sink) and dump the veggies and sausage into the pot. Then I add in the parmesan and ricotta cheeses and stir to combine. When it is integrated, add the pasta and stir to coat. Transfer the pasta/sauce combo to a baking pan (10 x 15 works best here) and cover with grated cheese. Slide into a 350 degree oven until cheese on top is bubbly and golden. If you need to speed up the browning process, you can turn on the broiler, but if you do that you've got to watch it carefully as it can burn quickly.

This dish is great for potlucks and can easily be made vegetarian if you skip the sausage.