Spicy Mexican Pasta Bake.. #Pastalove

Aah its almost summer although the weather is playing its own little tricks on us, with April-like showers this past week.It has gotten better though and I hope that it stays this way from now on!Talking about summer, our aptly titled Pastalove bloghop is underway and with today being Cinco de Mayo what better way to celebrate than by making some Spicy Mexican Pasta Bake!!

Baked Pasta for me is pure comfort food and this Mexican version is a great variation for your tastebuds.Its got so much flavor with the sausages, vegetables and the spices that every bite gives you a kick!!Its a meal that's going to become your family's favorite in any season.Its also a perfect party/potluck food that's super easy to prepare since you can make it ahead of time or even freeze.

You can easily make a vegetarian version of this, by omitting the sausage and using black beans instead.I wanted to use the Spicy Jalapeño Chicken Sausage sold at Trader Joe's, but they ran out of it and I settled for the Smoked Andouille Chicken Sausage instead which is a pretty good substitute in terms of spiciness.If you want it less spicy you can opt for a milder sausage.I've used Whole Wheat Fusilli that makes this a healthy, wholesome dish for the whole family.

The sausage lends its spicy flavors out into the oil, the peppers and corn get drenched in the spices, the tomatoes balance the heat with its sweetness and the mexican blend of cheeses give this the perfect coating to go under the grill and get nice and bubbly!

Spicy Mexican Pasta Bake
Print this Recipe

Ingredients:

Whole Wheat Fusilli (or any other pasta)-4 cups
Smoked Andouille Chicken Sausage(or any of your choice)-1 pck (6 links cubed)
Onion-1 large chopped
Jalapeños (green chillies) -2 chopped
Garlic-6 cloves crushed
Green Bell Pepper-1 large chopped
Frozen Corn-1 cup
Ground Cumin-1 tsp
Paprika-1 tsp
Oregano-2 tsp
16oz can of Crushed Tomatoes-1
Mexican Blend Cheese shredded-2 cups
Water- 1cup
Olive Oil-2 tbsp
Salt -to taste

Process:

In a deep skillet heat the olive oil and add the sausages.Fry until golden and add the onions. Saute for a minute and add the garlic.

Add the green bell peppers, frozen corn and the tomatoes.Add the Jalapeños,ground cumin, paprika, oregano and salt.Add a cup of water. Cover and cook on medium until the sauce comes nicely together.
In the meantime cook the Fusilli for about 7-8 minutes.Mix 2 tbsp of the pasta liquid into the sauce.Take out a large baking dish and pour a little bit of the sauce in the dish.Spread all over.

The fusilli goes next, spread evenly and pour the remaining sauce all over the pasta.

Top it up with the mexican blend cheeses and broil until the cheese is all bubbly.Your Spicy Mexican Pasta  Bake is ready!Garnish with cilantro and serve hot!

I'm co-hosting #Pastalove bloghop with these fabulous friends!Please visit their pages too while you're here :)Link up your pasta recipes from the month of May!

Astig Vegan www.astigvegan.com
Badger Girl Learns to Cook http://www.learntocookbadgergirl.com
BigFatBaker http://bigfatbaker.com
Bon à croquer http://www.bonacroquer.com/
Cake Duchess http://www.cakeduchess.com
Elephant Eats www.elephanteats.com
Hobby And More http://hobbyandmore.blogspot.com/
Mis Pensamientos http://juniakk.blogspot.com
No One Likes Crumbley Cookies http://tcrumbley.blogspot.com/
Oh Cake http://cake-o-cake.blogspot.com/
Rico sin Azúcar http://ricosinazucar.com
Simply Reem www.simplyreem.com
Soni's Food for Thought http://sonisfoodforthought.blogspot.com/
Teaspoon of Spice www.teaspoonofspice.com
The Spicy RD www.eastewart.com/blog
The Wimpy Vegetarian http://thewimpyvegetarian.com
Vegetarian Mamma www.vegetarianmamma.com
You Made That? http://www.you-made-that.com/
Vegan Yack Attack http://veganyackattack.com