Garlic Bread Pasta Torte

My kids love to stuff spiral pasta inside bread for a clever dinner torte. We save the bread crusts to make garlicky croutons for salad.

Ingredients

  • 1 package (16 ounces) spiral pasta
  • 1 package (19-1/2 ounces) Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed
  • 8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
  • 1 medium green pepper, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 jar (24 ounces) marinara sauce
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 3 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 2-1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
  • 6 tablespoons butter, cubed
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 20 slices white bread, crusts removed
  • Additional marinara sauce, warmed, optional

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 400°. In a 6-qt. stockpot, cook pasta according to package directions for al dente; drain and return to pot.
  • In a large skillet, cook sausage, mushrooms, green pepper and onion over medium-high heat 7-9 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink, breaking up sausage into crumbles; drain. Stir in sauce, basil and Italian seasoning. Add to pasta; stir in 2 cups cheese.
  • In a microwave, melt butter; stir in garlic. Lightly brush one side of bread with garlic butter. Line bottom and sides of a greased 10-in. springform pan with bread slices, trimming to fit and facing buttered sides against pan. Fill with pasta mixture; press firmly to pack down. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
  • Bake, uncovered, 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and cheese is melted. Loosen sides from pan with a knife; remove rim. If desired, serve with additional marinara sauce.
Nutrition Facts

1 slice (calculated without additional marinara sauce): 409 calories, 16g fat (7g saturated fat), 49mg cholesterol, 752mg sodium, 48g carbohydrate (7g sugars, 3g fiber), 19g protein.