The other day I did something I rarely do: I went shopping online.
My husband and I are horrible shoppers (when it comes to anything other than food). We both have enough energy and patience for about 5 minutes per store. If it looks too crowded, we literally we just walk right past and won’t go in.
So when the sandals I’ve been wearing constantly every summer for the past 3 years started to break, I decided it was time for a new pair. We tried a few stores; I didn’t find anything I liked and came home empty handed. Where is that ONE pair of shoes that goes with EVERYTHING?!
I really didn’t want to spend another precious weekend afternoon trying on shoes, so I decided to try my hand at online shopping. I used Zappos, as I’ve heard they have excellent customer service and more importantly, FREE SHIPPING BOTH WAYS.
Unfortunately, I liked the shoes better from the computer screen than actually on my feet, but did appreciate how easy it was to just send them right back! I’m still shoe-less and not wanting to go to another store (but realize there are bigger problems in the world).
Want to know another thing I recently did that I rarely do? Baked pasta! I don’t know why I never think to prepare pasta this way but it’s so simple and makes a basic meal feel special! Plus, you can rest get a lot done while the oven does all the hard work and then still sit down to enjoy a warm meal!
The options are endless with this meal; you can you pasta shells, add zucchini and artichoke, melt fresh asiago or mozzarella cheese, or throw in some fresh herbs from your garden. Whatever your preferences are, this meal can be adapted!
Two Cheese Baked Veggie Pasta
Keywords: bake entree side vegetarian pasta olives leafy greens cheese Italian
Ingredients
- 8 oz. fusilli pasta (or other small pasta of choice)
- 12 oz. marinara sauce (homemade or store-bought)
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 5-6 button mushrooms, sliced or quartered
- 1/3 cup sliced olives
- Large handful spinach, roughly chopped
- About 4 oz. fontina cheese, shredded
- About 1 oz. parmesan cheese, grated
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cook pasta until very al dente (2 or 3 minutes less than package instructions). Drain pasta.
2. Spray 8×8 inch oven-safe baking dish with cooking spray. Add pasta and mix with vegetables, sauce, salt, pepper and half the cheese. Top with remaining cheese and bake (uncovered) until browned, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly, serve and enjoy!
~Do you like shopping? Do you do more online or in-store shopping?
