Hello and welcome! 
Today's dish was one that could only be called "Improv Cooking" (thanks to Alec for the term). While cleaning out all the food in Turman, Lauren and I decided it was time to have an actual meal. To be honest it has little to do with Christmas other than being red and green with "snow", but I suppose that says something for my one-track mind...
The Recipe: Christmas Pasta Casserole
- 1 Box Penne Pasta
- 1 cup Spinach Leaves
- 1 can Crushed Tomatoes
- Parmesan Cheese to taste
The Process: 
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. (176.6 degrees Celsius)
- Boil enough water to fill 3/4 of a pot on the stove.
- Cook pasta to desired consistency. 7-8 minutes should produce al dente pasta, depending on your stove.
- Strain pasta and transfer to bowl.
- Mix spinach, tomatoes, and cheese with pasta.
- Transfer to casserole (or other oven-safe) dish.
- Sprinkle the top with cheese.
- Bake for 5-10 minutes (as desired).
- Enjoy!
 
The Calories: 
Pasta: 800 calories
Tomatoes: 136 calories 
Spinach: 7 calories
Cheese: 52 calories
_______________________
TOTAL: 995 calories
 Divided by the two of us, this makes a very nice filling meal of only 498 calories each, made of quite healthy components!
Divided by the two of us, this makes a very nice filling meal of only 498 calories each, made of quite healthy components! 
What went right: 
          The pasta was cooked nicely, the spinach was great even though it wasn't sauteed, and the whole dish really fit together quite well! 
What went wrong: 
          Nothing necessarily wrong. I don't know that I can classify it correctly as a casserole without the massive amounts of cheesy layers and far more ingredients, but I can say that it's delicious! 
What would I do next time: 
           Potentially add sauteed zucchini and mushroom. and bake slightly longer. 
Overall, this was a great dish that will definitely be made over and over! 

 
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