It has been bitterly cold where we are for the past few days. So cold that nearly all the school divisions canceled school yesterday, except ours of course. Poor Craig still has to walk to work  every day and spend a fair bit of his shifts outside, but lucky Kesa and I get to stay inside cuddled under a blanket while reading stories or watching Blue’s Clues. It is the kind of weather that makes you want to be completely lazy and eat pizza. Or is that just the pregnant me talking?

I had pizza on my mind and zero flour and zero yeast to make any, but I did have sauce and cheese. So I did what any good pizza addict would do, I got creative. I have made a lot of pizza toast for the girls these days, by just putting the sauce and cheese on bread and toasting it in the oven. That has always been a favorite, but yesterday I got thinking that there must be other ways to get that delicious pizza taste into my favorite dishes. Like pasta! Thus, pizza pasta was born.

Cheesy Pizza Pasta

Serves 6-8

• 1 375 g package of whole wheat Rotini pasta
• 3/4 cup daiya shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 cups your favorite pizza sauce (I used Kraft, the girls love it)
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or a pinch each rosemary, thyme, oregano and basil)
• 1 green pepper, diced

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook the Rotini pasta as directed on package. Add the diced green pepper in with the pasta for the last 3-5 minutes of cooking time. Drain the pasta and the peppers and place them into a large bowl. Add the cheese and mix until completely melted. Add in the pizza sauce and Italian seasoning or spices. Serve with a side salad or toast up some bread or buns to top with Italian Herbed Garlic Spread.

You could use whatever pizza topping that you like in this dish. I think vegan pepperoni would’ve been good in here as well, but it was great just the way it was. The girls love anything with ‘cheese’ so they were sold.

Hopefully it warms up around here soon. I need my fresh air and sunshine!