Stovetop Pizza

Take what you like on your pizza and throw it in a pan with some cooked noodles and pizza sauce! Why the heck not. Here's my version...

Ingredients

8oz tri-color spiral noodles
4 slices bacon, cut into 1" pieces
~15 slices pepperoni, halved
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 green pepper, chopped
2 cups broccoli
~7oz (half of a can) diced tomatoes, drained
Italian seasoning
Salt & pepper
Crushed red pepper
1/2 cup pizza sauce
Cheese

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in large skillet on medium heat, cook bacon. When it's almost done, add pepperoni and garlic. When bacon is finished, drain all on some papertowels and return to pan.

Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in green pepper, broccoli, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Cover and stir occasionally for about 5 minutes or so, until veggies begin to tender.

Stir in pasta and pizza sauce and heat thru. Top with cheese if desired and serve!

Makes about 4 servings.

Mine

and Justin's

Italian Wedding Pasta

Pretty simple and tasty...

Ingredients

~20 frozen meatballs
Olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
16oz bow-tie pasta
14oz chicken broth
1-1/2 cups milk
1 Tablespoon flour
15oz canned peas
Salt & pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400.

On low heat, cook meatballs (I prefer Rosina's Italian-style frozen meatballs) in covered large skillet with a little olive oil to prevent burning for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic for last minute or two.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions, subtracting about 2 minutes from cook time. Drain, return to pot.

In small bowl, whisk together milk and flour until the clumps are gone. Stir chicken broth into pasta pot, followed by milk-flour mix, peas, salt, and pepper. Let simmer on medium-high heat to thicken for a couple minutes, stirring frequently so the milk does not burn. Remove from heat.

With slotted spoon, transfer meatballs & garlic to pasta pot and stir. Then, transfer all contents to a baking dish - a small casserole dish or 8x8" square dish should work fine. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown. Top with parmesan if desired.

Makes 6 or so servings.

Spaghetti al Forno

Ingredients

15 or so frozen meatballs - Rosina's Italian-style are great
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Crushed red pepper, to taste
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 cup chopped or grated carrots (I just use 1/2 bag of pre-grated)
8 oz. spaghetti noodles
1/2 cup bread crumbs, Italian-style

Directions

Preheat oven to 450.

Cook frozen meatballs in large skillet on low with onion, garlic, a little olive oil to prevent sticking, and crushed red pepper. Cover and stir occasionally. After about 15 minutes, stir in the tomatoes and carrot. Let simmer about 5 more minutes.

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in large pot according to package directions, except reduce cooking time by about 2 minutes. Drain and return to pot.

Add meatball mixture to pot of cooked pasta and toss to combine. Transfer to casserole dish. Sprinkle top with bread crumbs.

Bake 10-15 minutes, until it begins to brown. Serve drizzled with olive oil if desired.

Note: Don't use an 8x8 dish like I did in the photo below, use something bigger. You'll need more room, and the bread crumbs will spread more evenly.