Real World Wednesday - The Deacon's Wife's Pasta

A few months ago, we were invited to a liturgical minister's appreciation dinner at church.  I thought the food was delicious, but I like most food, so no surprise there.  It wasn't until Philip said "If you made dinner's where the vegetables actually tasted good, like this one, I'd eat it all the time!," that I knew I HAD to have this recipe.  This is so easy to make, and is definitely a crowd pleaser.  It also makes a lot!  I would halve this if you are making it just for your family.  Otherwise, this would freeze well if you want to freeze half and then reheat in a casserole dish in the oven.

Ingredients
16 oz penne, cooked according to package directions
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb smoked sausage, cut in half lenthwise and then cut in 1/2 inch slices
2 medium zucchini, cut in half lenghtwise and then cut in 1/2 inch slices
1/2 c corn
italian seasonings of choice, to taste
1 24oz jar marinara sauce (or equal of homemade)
Shredded parmesan

Directions
Brown the sausage in a skillet and set aside.  Saute onion, bell pepper, and zucchini in same skillet, adding olive oil if needed, until onion is translucent and veggies are crisp tender.  Return the sausage to the pan, add the corn, seasonings and marinara sauce and toss all.  Top with shredded parmesan and serve!

Gingerbread Waffles

Yum.  That's all I can say about these.  The texture was the best of any waffles I've ever made, and the taste was right on.  Slightly gingerbready without being super overwhelming.  Even my husband, who is not a gingerbread fan, said these "weren't too bad," which is high praise coming from him.  And there is nothing like waffles and eggs for dinner to make children sigh in contentment.  A+ all around. :)

Ingredients
2 c flour
1/4 c sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
4 large eggs
6 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 c milk
1/2 c sour cream
3 T unsulfured molasses

Directions
Combine dry ingredients in a bowl.  Whisk wet ingredients in a separate bowl.  Combine wet and dry until just incorporated and cook on your waffle iron according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Source
Annie's Eats

Notes
If you want to make it a bit healthier, I saw an idea in the comments sections on the sources blog to switch the 2 cups of flour for 1 c wheat flour and 1 c cake flour to keep the same texture.